In celebration of World Chocolate Day, the Davao City Cacao Industry Development Council (DCCIDC), in partnership with the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAgRO), opened the three-day (July 7-9) chocolate trade fair at the Abreeza Mall on Friday.
The opening was attended by Vice Mayor J Melchor Quitain Jr, CAgRO Head Edgardo Haspe, DCCIC Project Lead Lizabel Holganza, local cacao producers, and chocolatiers.
The trade fair is participated in by 12 local chocolate brands that are practicing single origin production.
“It’s good that they did this so that people will discover that Davao City is really now the chocolate capital of the country. Whenever we have visitors or tourists coming, they should try the chocolates and bring some home,” the vice mayor said.
Quitain said the city council is fully supportive of expanding the cacao and chocolate market of the city and is, in fact, currently in talks on promoting local cacao products even more.
Funding, the vice mayor said, may be one of the ways the city council can lend support to the local cacao industry. Promoting Davao chocolates as a highlight during the Kadayawan Season is also being considered.
CAgrO Durian and Cacao Focal Person Fe Oguio said the CAgrO is actively supporting local cacao farmers and processors by capacitating them through the entire cacao farming process and the processing of quality products, especially in terms of information sharing as well as technological and technical trainings.
“We are in collaboration with other agencies para sa complete technical services sa atoang value chain. So dili pwede na naay daghang farmer nga nagtanom lang pero walay processors. So that’s why gina-capacitate ang farmers as to farming at the same time, gina-capacitate ang processors labi na on the food safety and other regulations (We are in collaboration with other agencies for the complete technical services across the value chain. It is not enough to have farmers doing the planting without processors. So that’s why we are capacitating farmers as to farming; at the same time, we are capacitating processors especially on food safety and other regulations),” Oguio said.
The CAgrO also assists farmers and processors find investors in order to raise capital for emerging chocolate ventures.
Oguio called on the public to visit the fair and patronize local chocolate products.
“For this event, amoang gi-lauman na being kita Dabawenyos, musupurta ta kay dili kanunay nga naay ingonani na higayon. Makita nimo ang nagkalain-lain nga local brands nato of chocolate and cacao products na naa diri sa Davao City (For this event, we are hoping our fellow Dabawenyos would show their support because we do not always have events like this. You cans see different local brands of chocolate and cacao products here in Davao City),” she said. CIO
