Coconut and cacao are two tropical crops that have gained immense popularity worldwide due to their versatility and economic value. These crops have been cultivated separately, but recent advancements have led to the development of integrated farming systems that combine the cultivation of coconut and cacao. Since there is an average of 30-60 day interval in between the yielding of coconut, intercropping them increases the rate of crop production.
With the potentials of integrating said crops, coconut-cacao farming system is one among the focuses of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CPIDP). The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), which role is to work on the social protection component of the program and in providing training to coconut farmers and their families, the ATI Regional Training Center 1 conducted a Training of Trainers on Coconut-Cacao Farming System on May 22-26, 2023 at ATI-RTC 1 Satellite Training Center, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte.
A total of 24 Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) cooperators completed the five-day training program and are now considered in the list of trainers for farmer level trainings.
The training was done through lecture-discussions, workshops, hands-on and field exposure to provide the participants technical and practical learning. The hands-on activities include site selection and farm lay-outing, selection of quality seedlings, planting, fertilization, pruning and maintenance and cacao sleeving at Inuwayan Farm, Adams, Ilocos Norte.
Two (2) farmer level trainings are targeted in September and October to capacitate more coconut farmers to leverage the socio economic benefits of diversified income of coconut-cacao farming system, value addition, and employment generation. These trainings will be facilitated by the graduates of this ToT.
