Ruth M. Lorenzana, a 46-year-old farmer from Purok Pag-asa, Davao City, is a member of the Purok Pag-asa Paquibato Rural Improvement Club (PPPRIC), a farmers’ association.
Since 2005, the Lorenzana family’s means of livelihood is cacao farming. She and her husband sell dried cacao beans to traders at P20,000 per cropping season or P40,000 per year.
One challenge of cacao farming to the Lorenzanas is the lack of stable market and pricing. It makes life hard for them, particularly in providing the school needs of their three children. Also, they could not improve their one-room home which has incomplete walls and floor.
The situation improved since three years ago, when she was introduced to Auro Chocolate through the food company’s partner, the local barangay. Auro Chocolate has bought more than P23 million worth of cacao from various farmers' organizations, including the PPPRIC.
The amount was 8.7 percent higher than the P21.78 million it paid to its partner farmers in the previous cropping season of September 2021 to August 2022.
On top of the earnings, the cacao farmers got technical assistance from Auro Chocolate such as training on proper harvesting or segregation of good and infected beans.
The farmers also learned how to upcycle cacao leaves. They started turning it into lampshades, coasters, bookmarks and fossilized cacao leaves for those who want to make their own handicrafts.
Auro Chocolate educated the PPPRIC farmers about the market and how price ranging works.
With the support, Lorenzana’s family’s income has increased to P60,000 per harvest, or P120,000 per year. They now also have four branded motorcycles that serve as their transportation.
Auro Chocolate helped not just one family but other farmers as well, giving benefits, programs, free training, they are like one community and a family.