TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas disclosed that it is eyeing a 5,000-metric ton production target for dried cacao beans in the next five years despite very low production in the past 10 years.

The DA-8 said that the yield volume must be achieved to fill up the nationwide shortage while the demand for cacao beans grows. Cacao is the main ingredient of chocolate.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, he said the region's cacao farmers just harvested 70.87 MT of dried beans in 2022, compared to the 114.44 MT yield 10 years earlier.