Where's the chocolate? COCOA FARMING & POST HARVEST PROCESSING
Schedule
Sat May 21 2022 at 09:00 am to 05:00 pm
Location
Gardens by the Bay | Singapore, SG
About this Event
The course helps participants appreciate the Fruit of the Gods in a different light. Back tracing to the origins of the Cocoa tree, and develop knowledge and skills needed for a career in the Cocoa industry, particularly needed for new entrants to cocoa farming. Even if you aren’t ready just yet to become a cocoa farmer, come and find out where your favorite snack comes from and a visit to the resident cocoa trees while our experts impart knowledge and answer questions.
Upon completion of the programme, participants will be able to understand smallholder farm operations, the cocoa buying station, post harvest processing and also to understand the challenges and how farm operations can be made more sustainable and attractive to an aging farmer population.
- You will get quality 1-1 time with other attendees - plus, we have some fun and interactive activities planned!
- Seats are limited, so get your tickets as soon as possible.
- In compliance with Singapore regulations, please ensure you are fully vaccinated in order to enter the venue.
- Suitable for 16yrs and above (contact organizer for group booking (>20pax))
Farm operation
- from growing to maintenance of the cacao trees from the perspective of a smallholder farmer. It will cover issues and challenges they face – from fertilising, pests and disease control, rejuvenating of cacao trees to market access for their harvest.
- at the cacao buying station – collection of freshly harvested wet beans, fermentation process, drying, sorting, bean grading, quality control, packing and shipping
- New entrants to the world of Cocoa
- Academic Institutions e.g. Culinary schools, Secondary schools with farming programmes
- Interest groups in agronomy, horticulture
- Community gardeners
- Smallholder cocoa farmers
- Those who has interest in understanding cocoa farm operation, post-harvest operation
- Those interested to understand sustainable farming for cocoa & best practices
- General Interest in Cocoa and Chocolate
- Opportunity to learn without leaving the country
- Recommended for ages 15 and above
- #Speak to us if you have a special group
Learning Objectives
Participants will be challenged to think and start conversations on
- Practical solutions to increase farm output ethically and sustainably.
- Partnership with cacao buying stations to play an active role in managing groups of smallholder farmers to adopt best practices.
- Adoption of technology to make farming more productive and attractive to young people.
- The potential of cellular agriculture as the new frontier of cocoa production
Topics include*
- Introduction & Brief History of Cacao & Chocolate
- Country Perspective - Cacao in the Philippines
- Crop Establishment & Maintenance
- Insect Pests & Diseases
- Role of the Cacao Buying Station
- Cacao Harvest & Post-Harvest Practices
- Standard Quality Specification of Cacao Bean
*Subject to change according to the availability of cocoa pods and season
Agenda
- 0915 - 0930 : Participants arrive, settle down
- 0930 - 1200 : Your adventure starts (**Simple coffee break provided)
- 1200 - 1330 : Lunch (participants are free to roam)
- 1330 - 1700 : Adventure continues (**Simple tea break provided)
- 1730 : Round up discussion for the day, ends
*note the above agenda timings might be subjected to some changes
**Standard tea+snack provided during breaks, lunch not provided.
Interesting Class Activities*
Depending on the season and availability of cocoa pods, participants might be able to
- Visit cacao trees at Colonial Garden
- Cocoa pod breaking and tasting of fresh cacao beans
- Bean sorting – separate waste, broken, cluster beans, Class A & B beans
- Cut test to check the quality of fermentation
*Subject to change according to the availability of cocoa pods and season & prevailing SMM measures
About the instructor
Michael Tan, has a Bachelor of Science degree from the National University of Singapore, a Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management from SIM and a WSQ Diploma in Landscape Management (Parks, Reserves & Gardens). He is also the CEO and Founder of M&D Prize Foods Pte Ltd, incorporated 20 years ago as a food ingredient business. He currently operates a cacao buying station in Calinan, Davao City with a processing capacity of 30 tons of fine flavoured fermented beans. The company’s export markets include craft chocolatiers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. It has also conducted cacao farm and post-harvest processing tours for visitors from Japan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.
From the late 2000s, Michael and his wife Doris started their agricultural livelihood projects growing cardamon in Nagaland, Northeast India, bananas in Burundi, Central Africa and cacao in Davao, Philippines.
Of these livelihood projects, cacao growing in Davao expanded significantly with the acquisition a 14- hectare hill property in Davao del Norte to establish a cacao nursery, grow cacao on the property and supply seedlings to the communities in the area in partnership with local government agencies. An agricultural association comprising of these various groups was also formed to provide training on cacao growing and maintenance as well as to assure farmers of buying their cacao harvest.
As a result of the successful livelihood programme M&D Prize Foods Philippines, Inc. was incorporated in Davao City. The company continues to work with smallholder farmers, cacao farming associations and co-operatives in the Davao region and is now working with the Department of Trade & Industry to extend its work to the Province of Sultan Kudarat in the Soccsksargen region of Mindanao.
Where is it happening?
Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore, SingaporeEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
SGD 370.00
