CONSTRAINTS TO HIGH YIELD OF CACAO PRODUCTION IN TUPI, SOUTH COTABATO

The study was conducted in eleven barangays in Tupi, South Cotabato from November 2021 to April 2022 to determine the constraints to the high yield of cacao. Specifically, this study aims to determine factors affecting cacao production, farm management practices, profitability, problems encountered, and the extent of effects of constrains to cacao.

Results revealed that most of the cacao farmers age ranging from 46-55 years old, married by marital status and reached elementary level. Majority of the farmers were landowners of areas where the most common variety used is UF18 and the majority had 1 hectare and below in terms of land area. Most of them applied fertilizers and some did not. They preferred to harvest every 2-4 weeks by handpicking method. They also did the weeding manually and perform pruning 1-2 times a year.

More so, problems encountered by cacao farmers were weather, pest and diseases and the gradual decrease in the price of cacao.

Results from the Cobb Douglas regression model showed that among the factors it found out that the land area and fertilizers were significant factors influencing the yield of cacao. With this, the government may consider to intensify their extension services to the cacao farmers, offer soft loans programs and farmers should optimum use of farm inputs, in order to to increase the cacao production.