𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 (Responsible Investment Shared Empowerment) 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗠𝗶𝗻 Project held the training on Cacao Processing last October 25, 2023, at Bagong Buhay Village, Poblacion, Pangantucan, Bukidnon, a registered training facility for Cacao Processing by the Department of Trade and Industry owned by Mr. Ben Calunod. The facility produces various products made from Cacao, including chocolate, cocoa powder, cacao butter, Sikwati ready (a hot drink from Cacao Powder), and even vinegar from Cacao and other Cacao products.

The members of the Lantapan Cacao Farmers Cooperative attended the training. This was one of the cooperatives organized and registered to the Cooperative Development Authority by Project RISE. The training primarily focuses on producing quality beans, fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding, and molding. Proper care for Cacao trees was also discussed to produce abundant and quality beans.

Mr. Crisistomo Araño, one of the members of the cooperative, said, “𝘞𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘈𝘋𝘙𝘈 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘌 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦.”