Former mailman turned cacao farmer Grover L. Rosit is one such example. “I got married at age 23 and when I was 27, I started planting cacao little by little [while] raising and sending my six children to school... My salary as a mailman and my wife’s [paycheck] as an elementary school teacher was just enough for us to send our children up to high school,” he said. “To prepare for their college years, I must find ways to earn extra income to save for the future of my children.”
FROM MAILMAN TO FARMER, SLOWLY BUT SURELY
He started Rosit Cacao Farms with his wife 32 years ago on two hectares of land his wife received from her father. “The land that my wife received from her father has already existing coconut trees. And to my observation, I cannot think of any other crops that are suited to intercrop with coconut other than cacao. Cacao is also healthier and can grow faster if it is planted with shadings,” he said.
Rosit narrated that after work and during holidays and weekends, “instead of doing nothing,” he would spend time on his father in-law’s land cultivating cacao trees. He started small, slowly growing his crop as soon as he had the capital to do so. “I started planting only five trees, then 10 trees, 20 trees, 100 trees, and so on with the little money I have,” he said. “But the thing is I always make sure that each week won’t pass that I did not plant any cacao seedling.” This slow but sure growth, plus perseverance, is part of the secret to his success.
Now, Rosit cultivates around 20 hectares located in Baguio, Davao City, and Arakan, North Cotabato. “ Per hectare has 800 to 1,100 cacao trees with a distance of three by three meters, which is ideal for cacao,” he said.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July - August 2020-Ausgabe von Agriculture.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July - August 2020-Ausgabe von Agriculture.
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