Cacao Industry: Its Status, Opportunities and Challenges

This descriptive-correlational research aimed to determine the cacao industry’s production status, opportunities, and challenges in Iloilo, Philippines, for fiscal year 2024. The study included 125 cacao farm owners and managers selected through purposive sampling. Independent variables were educational attainment, years of industry operation, type of ownership, farm size, and location. Dependent variables were the industry's status, challenges, and opportunities. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering demographic profiles, industry status, opportunities, and challenges. Statistical tools used included frequency count, percentage, mean, rank, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U-Test, Kruskal-Wallis H-Test, and Spearman’s Rho, analyzed with SPSS at a 0.05 alpha level. Findings revealed that most respondents had at least a Bachelor's degree, operated small-scale farms, and were relatively new to the industry. The cacao industry was rated excellent overall, particularly in sustainability practices, though there was room for improvement in leveraging technological advancements. Opportunities included agroforestry practices, soil conservation, and expanding farming areas. Challenges involved climate change, pests and diseases, and a shortage of skilled labor. Significant differences in opportunities and challenges were found based on demographic factors, with weak relationships between the industry's status, opportunities, and challenges. In conclusion, the study highlighted the positive outlook of the cacao industry in Iloilo while emphasizing the need for strategic improvements in technology use and skilled labor.