Cacao

K9 Cacao (NSIC Cc 10): Yield and Characteristics

K9 is a registered cacao variety, also sold or known as NSIC Cc 10. It was registered with the National Seed Industry Council in 2008 as NSIC 2008 Cc 10. Marwabempco bred it. Its record notes about 2.44 tonnes of dry beans per hectare a year.

4 min read Updated October 23, 2026 By the anee.io agriculture team Read it all with Libre + Anee
Young fruit trees planted in straight rows on cleared red soil, the kind of farm where K9 cacao is grown
Photo: Anish nellickal, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The average and top yields in tonnes per hectare come from the trials each variety went through to be registered with the NSIC, and from what the seed companies say about their own seed.

What farmers harvest today can be different. Newer harvest records, the season, the place, the soil, the water and the care all move these numbers over time.

So use them to compare varieties, not as a promise for your field. Ask your seller or your agriculturist how the variety did on farms near you in the last few seasons.

If you came here looking for NSIC Cc 10, this is the same cacao. Its seller and farm sources add notes, listed at the end. Compare it with the others in our cacao variety finder, or see every crop variety we list. For the crop itself, read our guide: Land preparation for tree crops.

  • Yield: about 2.44 tonnes of dry beans per hectare a year.
  • Plant height: about 630 cm.

Key facts about K9 cacao

Key facts of K9
TraitWhat the record shows
RegistrationNSIC 2008 Cc 10
Year approved2008
Breeder or ownerMarwabempco
Also known asNSIC Cc 10
Average yield2.44 t dry beans/ha
Plant height630 cm
Tree canopy diameter (cm)422
Pod index (pods for 1 kg of dry beans)22
Pod length (cm)16.92
Pod width (cm)8.12
Pod color (young)Light Green
Pod color (mature)Light Green
Pod wall thickness (cm)1.25
Pod shapeObovate
Bean colorViolet
Bean no. of beans per pod40.14
Bean length (cm)3.9
Bean width (cm)1.42

When does it bear, and how much?

A registered tree variety is described from its mother tree, not from trial plots. Its record notes about 2.44 tonnes of dry beans per hectare a year. It first bore pods about 23 months after planting. A grafted or marcotted tree bears years sooner than one grown from seed, and its yield climbs as the tree grows.

anee.io keeps the records of each block of trees, from fertilizer to harvest, with the growth stages and weather beside them.

Is it resistant to pests and diseases?

Reactions in trials, rated under natural field conditions
Pest or diseaseRatingWhat it means
Coffee/pod borerModerately susceptibleTook clear damage
DiebackModerately resistantTook some damage but held up
Berry/ pod rotModerately resistantTook some damage but held up

It was weak against coffee/pod borer, so scout for it from the early weeks.

The pests and diseases that hit cacao fields most often: black pod of cacao, cacao pod borer, mealybug. Our pest finder and disease finder help you name what you see.

What the crop is like

Each pod holds about 40.14 beans.

What its seller and farm sources say

  • Harvest: First flowers about 23 months, pods about 28 months after planting.
  • Fruit: Light green pods, about 40 beans per pod, 100 dry beans about 166 g.
  • Uses: Cocoa beans, chocolate.
  • Moderately resistant to dieback and pod rot, moderately susceptible to pod borer.
  • Tall, about 6.3 m.

Why farmers know it: a cooperative owned clone with green pods and about 40 beans per pod. Check these against what farmers near you have seen, because the same variety can do differently from one town to the next.

Where and when to plant K9 cacao

Plant grafted clones, and mix two or three, because many cacao clones need another clone nearby to set pods. Pick by pod yield and bean size. A registered tree variety is a selection from one proven mother tree, and only grafted, budded or marcotted plants carry its traits. A seedling grown from its seed can turn out quite different. So buy from a nursery accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry, and ask which mother tree the scions came from. Before planting, get the field ready with our guide: Pagtatanim ng puno.

Before you buy planting material

  • Buy grafted or budded plants from an accredited nursery, with the variety name on the tag.
  • Ask your municipal agriculturist or nearby farmers how it did in your area last season.
  • Plant a few trees first if the variety is new to your area, before you fill the whole farm.
  • Write down the planting day, inputs and harvest, so you can compare varieties on your own ground. anee.io keeps these records for you.
Plan your next cacao season

Set the planting day of each lot and anee.io dates every task to harvest, with the weather beside it. Free on the Libre plan.

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Cacao varieties like this one

These are the closest matches among the cacao varieties we list. So if seed of this one is hard to find, compare these first.

  • S5: 2.41 t dry beans/ha, 2008
  • UF 18: 3.11 t dry beans/ha, 2008
  • PBC123: 2.23 t dry beans/ha, 2014
  • BR 25: 1.63 t dry beans/ha, 1999
Is NSIC Cc 10 the same as K9?
Yes. NSIC Cc 10 is another name for K9, registered as NSIC 2008 Cc 10. Seed sellers use both, so ask for either one.
What is its yield?
The record shows about 2.44 tonnes of dry beans per hectare a year. Your own yield depends on the soil, water, fertilizer and pests on your farm.
Where can I buy planting material of K9?
Buy grafted, budded or marcotted trees from a nursery accredited by the Bureau of Plant Industry, so you get the true variety. Ask your provincial agriculture office for the nearest one.

See how K9 will do on your farm

With Libre + Anee, see its full record: how it yields, its strengths and weaknesses against pests, diseases and the weather, and whether it fits your farm, your season and your soil.

The account is free, no credit card.