CLARK FREEPORT – All is not gloom over the scourge of the Ebola now plaguing West Africa, as the unfortunate situation could be a boost to Philippine agriculture.
Interior and Local Governments. Sec. Mar Roxas noted here that West Africa is the source of about 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate products. “These areas are hit with Ebola so international traders fear going there,” he said during a recent gathering here of mayors from Mindanao.
Thus, Roxas urged Filipino farmers to “plant cacao now because prices will be better than coffee and high value crops.”” He said that by the time local farmers harvest cocoa, “the prices will be good.” Roxas urged local government units to see the Ebola situation in West Africa as an “opportunity” as he reminded them that the Local Government Code provides that local governments could function as a “commercial enterprise.”
“This (cacao production) is something you can study,” he said, as he also urged farmers to form federations for large scale cocoa production. Chocolate producers worldwide are reported to be monitoring the Ebola situation in West Africa.
Tim McCoy, spokesman for the World Cocoa Foundation, was reported to have noted that none of the major cocoa producers are in the Ebola-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ivory Coast is the number one cocoa producer in the world, and it has held Ebola at bay, McCoy said. However, a report said border closings due to Ebola could affect labor for Ivory Coast’s cocoa harvest.
“To date, cocoa production has not been affected by the disease, and our suppliers’ cocoa operations continue uninterrupted,” said Jeff Beckman, spokesman for The Hershey Company. Hershey does not have any operations of its own in West Africa, he added.
Beckman also said that more than 50 percent of the annual cocoa supply needed for the entire US have already been imported to last up to next year. Bloomberg however noted in a report last Oct. 6 that “there is concern that Ebola will cause disruption in the cocoa industry and lead to higher prices.”
Hershey said in July it would raise wholesale prices eight percent due to rising prices of cocoa, dairy, nuts, packaging, fuel, utilities and transportation. After Ivory Coast, the major cocoa producer is Ghana with Nigeria and Cameroon in the top five. Nigeria has reportedly contained the spread of Ebola.
The World Cocoa Foundation and the 115 companies that are members are raising money to help stop the spread of Ebola Hershey Company has donated to the Red Cross and Caritas International through the World Cocoa Foundation, Beckman said.
