Name: Paul Mark Anthony L.

Nibut Scholarship Program: RA 7687

Course: BS in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering School: Benguet State University
Year of Award: 2018

Design Modification, Fabrication, and Performance Evaluation of a

Mechanical Cacao Pod Bagging Apparatus

Title of Thesis

Brief Rationale

Chocolate or cacao prime-ingridient products has a considerable global economic value due to its high
cost and demand value. Likewise in the philippine, which has as estimated global demand of between 4.7 million
to 5 million metric tons (MT) on 2020, and has an average import cost of USD 168.3-M and USD 22.1-M of
export value. However, as reported from the journal of agriculture and food research, the Cocoa yield losses
cause by pests and diseases are around 20–40%. One of this pest is cacao pod borer (CPB) which accounts for
50% of losses. Consequently, this pest had produced severe crop loss, therefore, the farmers are using chemical or
mechanical method to control and eliminate this pest. For chemical method means to spray pesticide to the tree,
on the other hand, mechanical method intend to use plastic bags to serve as a cover for the whole cacao pods in
order to protect it from CPB. Furthermore, this mechanical method or plastic bagging have also two methods. The
first method is manual bagging which only uses bare hand to attach the plastic bags to the cacao pods, and even
when climbing the tree. Second is, by using a bagging instruments.

There are different fruit bagging instruments invented from different country. But one of them was from
University of Southeastern Philippines Tagum-Mabini Campus. The instrument was named as “PitiCao”, it has a
capacity to bag a 311 pieces of cacao pod per hour or up to 2,500 pieces of cacao a day. By using this instrument,
it had increased the yield of cacao fruits and it had save the more time and input cost compared to manual
bagging, but the most important thing is it eliminates risk of human life from falling from the tree.

However, some parts of the bagging process using this instrument or apparatus causes a decrease on its
efficiency. Such that, a modification to the existing mechanical cacao pod bagging apparatus (Peticao) that can
improve the bagging capacity of the said apparatus is in need to be given an interest. Indeed, that the
aforementioned improvement in the said apparatus will definitely give a bigger potential to the working output of
the subjected farmers.
The mechanical cacao pod bagging apparatus can improve the farm productivity and efficiency to
increase farmer’s income. The reduction on the amount of chemicals use in cacao production through mechanical
bagging method of controlling pest and diseases, will minimize the risks in human health and its adverse effect to
the environment.

General Objectives

The general objective of the study is to create a modified design of mechanical cacao pod bagging
apparatus, and then fabricate and evaluate its performance. The design should be: lightweight, can easily fabricate
and operate, and of a low assembly cost. And specifically, the study will aim to evaluate the apparatus on the
following: (1) The effective and theoretical bagging capacity from a height of 0 m to 1.5 m, 1.5 m to 2.5 m, 2.5 m
to 3.5 m; (2) Compare and contrast the difference on the effective bagging capacity of using the modified cacao
pod bagging apparatus and existing mechanical cacao fruit bagger (PitiCao); (3) And, to conduct a simple
benefit-cost analysis and net present worth of the modified mechanical cacao pod bagging apparatus.

Methodology

The “PitiCao” will be used as the main instrument in the study to be subjected for modification. Simple
testing of the modified instrument will be done until a refined model will be produced. A localized materials will
be used in fabricating the instrument.
After the testing of modified instrument, the field testing will be conducted. The selection of 50 cacao
tree samples from a farm, with at least 15 pods/tree and with 8 cm to 10 cm pod size below 3.5 m height. The
gathered data will undergo a statistical analysis to see if there is significant differences on using the “PitiCao” and
the modified instrument.

Noted by:

. MARLON CHARLES V. VILLAFUERTE

Signature of Scholar Printed Name and Signature of Thesis Adviser

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Date Date