AGRICULTURE Reaping the benefits of cacao farming

By Patricia Taculao

“WHY do you en joy farming?”

That’s a frequent question farmers encounter from curious onlookers or those aspiring to follow in their foot steps. But whether for income, peace of mind, environmental preservation, or more, the answer always differs for every farmer.

Japhet Gurit Tabale, a young farmer from Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, has sev eral. His specialty is ca cao farming, as he’s a cacao farmer and owner of the Cacao Prince.

“I was born to a family of farmers.

My mother’s family came from Panay, and my father’s family came from Leyte, who migrated to Agu del Sur, Mindanao, in the 1970s.

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My Lola Nilda, my mother’s mother, used to tell me a story about when they first arrived in Bayugan. They were one of the first to plant cacao trees in our town using cacao seeds,” he said.

During his childhood, his parents exposed him to products made from cacao, like homemade tablea or traditional dark chocolates.

His family’s passion for cacao farming lives on, with some 40 to 50-year-old rejuvenated cacao trees still growing on their farm. In 2015, his father planted a second batch using seedlings from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Tabale’s religious belief also contributed to his passion for cacao farming. As a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, the church taught him to care for their environment and encouraged him to eat healthily.

However, his most compelling reason is that cacao saved him when he was suffering from depression.

“My healing journey started just right on our farm. Looking at our