Sustainable Cocoa Enterprises Solutions for Smallholders (SUCCESS) Alliance Philippines - Phase II
Project Dates: 2006-2010
Country: The Philippines
Alliance: US Department of Agriculture, US Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation, Mars Incorporated, ACDI/VOCA and various local organizations
Implementers: ACDI/VOCA and the Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines Inc. (CocoaPhil)
Overview
SUCCESS Alliance Philippines aims to improve the quality and quantity of smallholder-grown cocoa in the Philippines. During the first phase of SUCCESS Alliance Philippines from 2002-2005: 5,200 farmers were trained through Farmer Field Schools; 656,000 seedlings were produced; 540,000 seedlings were distributed to smallholder farmers; and 70 nurseries were established. The World Cocoa Foundation bridge funding from February to May 2006 maintained the momentum until the second phase began. In Phase I, the project was active in the provinces of Northern Luzon, Palawan and Western Mindanao. In Phase II, the regions of Southern Tagalog and the Panay Islands were added.
Phase II Program Objectives:
- To train 15,000 farmers in cocoa production through the Farmer Field School approach
- To train 150 training and extension facilitators
- To support the establishment of 30 post-harvest handling facilities
- To develop 100 nurseries and budwood gardens
- To rehabilitate 400,000 cocoa trees
- To distribute 1.2 million grafted seedlings to 12,000 farmers
- To establish 25 demonstration plots
- To establish a government-endorsed, international quality standard for the Philippines
Progress to Date:
- 14,405 farmers trained. Facilitated by 179 trained facilitators, the farmers completed training through the participatory Farmer Field School methodology.
- 20 post-harvest facilities established. The program assisted five farmer groups with the rehabilitation of their fermentation and drying facilities and seven farmer groups with the construction of new solar dryers and fermentation boxes.
- 72 nurseries and 66 budwood gardens established. Nursery and budwood garden operators received training and tools to begin operations; 858,070 seedlings were distributed to 10,630 farmers.
- 485,853 trees rehabilitated. Participating farmers received training, tools and materials in side grafting, pruning, sanitation, monitoring of pests and diseases, and tree nutrition management.
- Cocoa bean standard approved. Based on models from the Cocoa Association of Asia, the Malaysian Cocoa Board, and the Philippine Cocoa Manufacturers, a standard was presented to the Department of Agriculture National Agricultural and Fishery Council Cocoa Industry Development Sub-Committee. The Department of Agriculture submitted the standard to the World Trade Organization for review. The standard became official in the third quarter of 2008.
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