By Zarrel Gel Noza
Cacao farmers need more help if they are to meet targets in the face of natural disasters.
In December 2012, with windspeeds over 280 kmh (175 mph), super-typhoon ‘Pablo’, known internationally as ‘Bopha’, struck the southern Philippines, killing more than 1000 people and causing an estimated USD 25 million worth of damage to the agricultural sector alone.
One of the most affected provinces was Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley). Over 200 people died in windstorms, flash floods and landslides that also levelled vast areas of banana, coconut, corn, timber, and cacao plantations.