A demucilager-fermenter-dryer for cacao will soon be developed. This is through a newly-approved project that will be funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
The project, “Design, Development and Optimization of an Automated Combined Mechanical Demucilager-Fermenter-Dryer for Cacao,” will design and develop an automated combined mechanical demucilager-fermenter-dryer for cacao. It will also evaluate the machine’s performance for optimization. It will be implemented for two and a half years by the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Tagum-Mabini Campus led by Dr. Roger C. Montepio.
The machine, with three postharvest operations in one, will be used for cacao beans in order to obtain the characteristics taste and flavor of chocolate.
DOST-PCAARRD, through the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division (ARMRD) and USeP Tagum-Mabini Campus recently conducted an inception meeting at USeP Obrero Campus, Davao City to have a common understanding of the project’s objectives, requirements, expected outputs, timetable, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) concerns.
According to the project team, the project will contribute in boosting cacao industry. Aside from increasing the quantity and quality of produce, laborers, farmers, and processors are expected to benefit by reducing the operating time, labor, and working space area by combining three cacao postharvest operations into one. Postharvest operations cost will also be reduced, which will result in an increase in net return. Value-added products will also be available such as vinegar, jam, and ethanol, among others, from collected sanitary cacao mucilage.