Chocolate makers stoke boom for Indian cocoa beans

If it is not for Sinjab, George Matthew’s attempt to become a cocoa producer has failed.

His agricultural career began in the 1970s when he inherited a rubber farm in the Indian state of Kerala, which he managed, along with his career as a doctor.

It was a bad time for a rubber farm, as rubber prices decreased means that they continued to lose money. Therefore, 10 years ago, Dr. Matthew decided to try cocoa trees, hoping to generate some money to support the rest of the farm.

Buy and plant some seedlings. She did not go well.

“This was not successful – most seedlings died,” he says.

Sinbids seem to make the situation worse by seizing and eating cocoa pills centuries.

But these raids have an unexpected benefit – Cocoa seeds have been spread throughout the farm.

Dr. Matthew says: “All the seeds scattered were soon grew to plants and were more healthier and stronger than the seedlings that they planted.”

“The trick was in the seed sowing,” I realized.

Today, Mr. Matthews has 6000 cocoa trees on an area of ​​50 acres of Earth.

“I think it was the best decision I made,” he says.

Although there are many areas with weather conditions appropriate for cocoa trees, India represents only 1 % of the production of a cocoa pill in the world.

West Africa is currently global production, as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produces between them More than half of the annual production in the world.

Indian farmers can provide a quarter of the beans needed by Indian chocolate makers and other sweets.

“The challenge is that it is grown in very, very fragmented, so it does not get a kind of attention that cocoa should get,” says Rene Jacob, Chairman of the India Board of Directors, a private company that was growing and treating cocoa pills for more attention. From 30 years.

In particular, he says that Indian farmers are poor in dealing with beans after their harvest. Once removed from its centuries, beans pass through the fermentation process on the farm, which can make a big difference in its flavor.

“Growing cocoa is a critical process of producing chocolate, and raw cocoa pills turned into a suitable form for making chocolate,” says Cocao CEO, Cocoa CEO.

He says: “This complex process includes several stages and activity of various microorganisms, which help to develop the flavor of beans, smell and color.”

To raise the amount and quality of the production of cocoa pills, the government provided many initiatives.

It invests in plans to develop hybrid cocoa factories, which are more productive than current items.

In addition, there are plans to train farmers on the latest technologies to develop beans.

“There is a wide opportunity for Indian farmers to enter cocoa cultivation and benefit from the benefits,” says Dr. Vimina, who works in the government in charge of developing cocoa production.

Business also invests in the new Vareies Cocoa Tree.

Dr. Emnol Js is the head of cocoa research at Kerala Agricultural University and works with Cadbury to develop hybrid cocoa trees.

In the garden in the project, the current high performance varieties are intertwined with strange types.

So far the program has reached 15 new species.

“These are the first hybrid seeds in India and a disease resistance,” she says.

“The seeds are dehydrated varieties, and they bear temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, which is usually not possible.”

The hybrid is also more productive than traditional varieties.

“The average global production is 0.25 kg per year per tree.

“In the state of Kerala, we get 2.5 kilograms per year per tree,” she says.

India’s production of cocoa pills has increased dramatically. This year it reached 110,000 tons, an increase of 40 % over 2015. But it is still insufficient to meet the demand from chocolate and local sweets makers.

The Cocoa Council in India estimates that the demand from industry increases by 15 % per year.

Kocoatriait was founded in 2019, one of the new generation of Indian chocolate makers.

Its headquarters in the city of Chennai on the East Coast, the company only uses the Indian cocoa pills.

One of the reasons for this is that local beans are locally with a carbon imprint that is much smaller than the beans shipped from another continent.

In addition, the founder of Kocoatriait Nitin Chordia, Indian beans are cheaper than imports and have a distinctive flavor.

Mr. Chordia also runs an agricultural school, where farmers are displayed on the latest innovations in fermented beans and drying.

“We are constantly focusing on improving post -harvest practices for cocoa farmers in India,” he says.

He adds that Indian farmers need to produce high -quality pills.

“We are not able to compete with international players in the loose cocoa pill,” he says.

While there was improvement, Indian producers have some way to go.

“Over the past decade, in the flavoring cocoa grain sector, India has begun to note … but it will take several years before all Indian cocoa beans have reached a stage of extensive international recognition.”

Once again in Kerala, Dr. Matthew reflects his contract as cocoa farms.

He says, “It is a difficult plant.” “Last year I had no return. So no farmer could only rely on cocoa – one has to cultivate other trees with them.”

Despite the challenges, it is optimistic. “The future is bright, with a big request.”

“I have called me by a multinational company to sell my production to them, so I will make a good profit.”