On Christmas Eve 2019, the island of Samar (Philippines), where Grow Asia Pacific in cooperation with Rautini runs a cocoa livelihood programme, was hit by a powerful typhoon, Ursula.
When Typhoon Ursula swept through Eastern Samar, Philippines in 2019, the storm affected 95% of cacao farms in the area, badly damaging farm infrastructure and crops. After Ursula, one of our partner organisations, SPS Biota, completed a rapid assessment of affected cacao farms.
The SPS Biota team was deployed to the affected regions, advising farmers of best recovery practices for limiting long-term tree damage and preventing the spread of pests and diseases. This rapid response ensured that the majority of cacao trees recovered and became productive again within a few months.
On Christmas Eve 2019, the island of Samar (Philippines), where Grow Asia Pacific in cooperation with Rautini runs a cocoa livelihood programme, was hit by a powerful typhoon, Ursula.
When Typhoon Ursula swept through Eastern Samar, Philippines in 2019, the storm affected 95% of cacao farms in the area, badly damaging farm infrastructure and crops. After Ursula, one of our partner organisations, SPS Biota, completed a rapid assessment of affected cacao farms.
The SPS Biota team was deployed to the affected regions, advising farmers of best recovery practices for limiting long-term tree damage and preventing the spread of pests and diseases. This rapid response ensured that the majority of cacao trees recovered and became productive again within a few months.
