AP farmers have grown cocoa in 40,000 hectares of land and produced 11,000 tonnes of cocoa in 2020-21. In 2016-17, cocoa in AP was cultivated in 24,000 hectares and 7,700 tonnes was produced.
Experts said cultivation of cocoa has almost doubled, while production has increased substantially in the last 4-5 years.
Tamil Nadu stood second with cocoa grown in 32,000 hectares but it produced only 2,800 tonnes.
Kerala surpassed TN in production at 9,600 tonnes by growing cocoa in 17,400 hectares.
Replying to a query from Rajahmundry MP Margani Bharat in the Lok Sabha, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said India occupies 14th position globally in the production of cocoa. “The cocoa beans produced in India are comparable to Ivory Coast beans (the best beans are produced in Ghana followed by Ivory Coast) and many MNCs involved in grinding of cocoa are taking a lot of interest in Indian cocoa beans,” said Tomar.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute has developed five hybrid and high yielding varieties and three clones of cocoa for the benefit of growers.
The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd collects both wet and dry beans from growers, processes through its chocolate factory and exports cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Under Scheduled Castes sub-plan/tribal sub-plan programmes, cocoa seedlings are supplied to farmers of AP and Karnataka.
AP farmers have grown cocoa in 40,000 hectares of land and produced 11,000 tonnes of cocoa in 2020-21. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute has developed five hybrid and high yielding varieties and three clones of cocoa for the benefit of growers.
Source: The Times of India