Not a Happy Meal for Cacao

Hello cacao farmers! Just a few days ago we received an email regarding a pest. How to kill it.

It was not that easy to identify the pest but the first look, this name came out —MEALY BUG.

According to research, keeping your plants “nourished with the right amount of fertilizer and water can help prevent mealybugs. Mealybugs are attracted to over-watered and over-fertilized plants, so make sure your plants drain well and do not overdo their feeding and watering. Keep your plant areas clean and clear of debris.”

Spray with isoprophyl alcohol for instant death but that would be costly. There is cane vinegar available? Use that.

CACAO: Money Tree

The #FilipinoAromatico® has slowly emerged as the most sought after single origin cacao in the Philippines. Thanking old cacao trees that grew in backyards across the country, and harvesting the pods to create hard to replicate nutty tones, the Filipino Aromatico is here to stay.

Did you know that during the 1700s these fruit pod’s beans were used as a currency? Soon after, the indios during that time just planted some seeds all over the place and forgot about it. After several years, it grew and started to bear fruits. The money tree as they have called it, brought business, and food.

Now that the Filipino farmer knows better, a cacao producer association took the initiative to care for these trees which bore GOLD — Plantacion de Sikwate Cacao Producers Association, Inc. (PDS).

From traditional farming techniques, PDS has come up with modern techniques to educate farmers that they too, can grow their own money trees just like of the yesteryears.

More and more cacao farmers who are now enjoying the fruits of their labor has started creating their tablea products. The world awaits of their produce. The world knows that the Philippines is indeed a single-origin country when it comes to CACAO.

Be a farmer, call us for assistance, and in no time, harvest from your Filipino Aromatico money trees.

From Samar with ?

CHOCS ‘N BOXES

“Thank you Mr. Mel Santos and the @plantaciondesikwate for offering us scions from traditional Philippine criollo cacao varieties, you’ve done a great job of keeping our national flavor alive.

This particular Criollo variety was first brought to the Philippines by Spanish friars, a reminder of early colonial times but rather than being lost the remnants have been well preserved and is now being propagated throughout the archipelago.

Everything would not have been possible without Nestor Saludo who spearheaded the grafting of these Criollo varieties into our own cacao rootstocks. ⁣
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criollocacao #dairyfree #directtrade #philippinecacao #ethicallysourced #finechocolate #beantobar #glutenfree #healthychocolate #hotcocoa #localbusiness #organic #organicchocolate #beantobarchocolate #sugarfree #sugarfreelife #treetobarchocolate #veganchocolate