The cacao (dried beans with pulp) production improved to 2.35 thousand metric tons or 4.1 percent from 2.26 thousand metric tons recorded output in the same quarter of 2022.

Davao Region remained as the top producer of cacao with 1.67 thousand metric tons or 71.2 percent share to the country’s total cacao production during the period.

From January to June 2023, area planted with cacao was estimated at 32.24 thousand hectares. This registers an increase of 1.5 percent from 31.75 thousand hectares area planted in the same period of 2022.