LOS ANGELES, Butuan City – The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) XIII, in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Region 13, conducted the Training Course on Coconut-Cacao Farming System Batch 2 on November 15-17, 2023 at Balangay Hall, ATI Hall.

The three-day activity aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitude of coconut farmers in coconut-cacao intercropping. It produced 26 farmer graduates from the different municipalities of the region.

Lerma M. Sangco, Technical Staff from explained the Philippine Coconut Industry Situationer and the overview of the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan (CFIDP). She also answered queries from the participants regarding the registration of the National Coconut Farmers Registration System (NCFRS) and encouraged them to closely coordinate with their respective Coconut Development Officers (CDOs) assigned in their area.

The cacao production cultural management, from site selection to post-harvest operation, was discussed by Melanio Catayas Jr., Agriculturist I of Butuan City Agriculture Office. Practices like pruning, how the cacao flowers are fertilized, grafting and side grafting of cacao trees, fertilization, and harvesting and post-harvest operation were demonstrated during the field practicum.

Engr. Jeruer Batchinetcha, Agriculturist II of PCA Region 13, discussed the coconut-cacao farming system, and farm lay-outing and showed the feasibility studies of coconut-cacao intercrop.

“This training is very useful. It gave us additional knowledge and helped guide us on what to do for the betterment and development of our coconut farm production,” said April Puspos, a farmer participant from Bitan-agan, Butuan City.