Sunday 30 October 2011

Cocoa Tree Plantation (Theobroma cacao)

Cocoa is one of the important cash crop which fetches good revenue for small farmers. Currently India is importing 40% of its need.  Its demand in India is increasing 15% annually. Cadbury India, Jindal Cocoa, Amul, Campco are encouraging cultivation in India. It is sensitive to direct sun light, so it is cultivated mainly inter-crop with coconut or arecanut trees and  make additional revenues. In India, mainly South India is cultivated with it. Also Gmelina Arborea ( Kumil, White teak, Gamar) can be used as shade.

Varieties:
Popular commercial varieties are Criollo and  Forestero.  Trinitario is hybrid of  Criollo and  Forestero.
Other varieties are Amelonado and Amazon.


Cocoa Plantation inter-crop with coconut tree.




Plantation:  
Cocoa plant is normally raised from sowing seeds. Seeds are sown in the poly bags and raised in 6 months.
or one can get the seedling(saplings) from plant nurseries.

The Pit size needed: 1.5 feet x 1.5 feet x 1.5 feet
Spacing needed: 10 feet
Start of the rainy season is good for planting the seedlings(June). Irrigation to be done as and when it is needed. As inter-crop with coconut trees or arecanut trees, around 200 plants per acre can be planted ( it is needs shadow for growing)



Manuring:

It need manures for good growth. Initial three years can be raised with organic manure.
Nutrient              I Year          II Year       III Year onwards
(gram/tree)
---------------------------------------------------
N                       33              66               100
P                        13              26               40
K                       46              92               140



While applying manure, split equal those gram/tree and apply 2 times a year.

Harvesting:
It needs regular pruning to get good yields. Fruits are called pods which contain seeds( Cocoa beans).

Pest and Disease:
I will cover it in the next post.

Yield:

 200kg-400kg of dry cocoa beans/acre. Yearly income of rs 40000/acre can be earned.

Usage:

Cocoa Powder
Cocoa Butter


It has rich in anti-oxidants. It has good health benefits.  
Cocoa powder
It is the low fat component derived from cacao. It contains the most anti-oxidants than cacao butter. Health consultants suggests more intake cacao powder than cacao butter.
It is used in beverage, hot chocolate, cookies and desserts(Many Cocoa recipes are available). And also is used in making dark chocolates( main ingredient). 
Cocoa butter
It is used in making white chocolate and milk chocolate. It is used in pharmaceutical, it is non-toxic in room temperature and melting in body temperature suitable for ideal bases in medicine. It is used as ingredient in cosmetics, lotions and ointments.

26 comments:

  1. Good information. Looks like we can make more in cocoa intercrop than coconut.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. iam siddharth gaikwad it is very nice l got a proper knowleage of cocoa beans lwould like to have more knowleage of cocoa beans

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi sir i am vaibhav jain plz tell me all about cocoa farming.i want to start farming it in madhya pradesh.INDORE

      Delete
  3. writte to varanashi Farms, Adyanadka in Karnataka.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi There, I stumbbled upon ur blog while I was looking for cocoa powder in bulk. Can you share some contact information about any cocoa farms where we can get fresh cocoa powder? Thanks for the help in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very useful information on inter-cropping coconuts and cocoa. Can anyone highlight the large cocoa farms in India? Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  6. I hav e4 acre farm land in gurgaon, Haryana.
    where can I buy and plant cacao Plant

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Sasi.....Thanks for the article....Do you know any organic farmers from whom I can purchase cocoa beans?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bonsai is a Japanese word, which alludes to tree plantation. Bonsai is not a particular tree it is a technique for pruning and forming the trees in a more exquisite manner for indoor and open air enhancements.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Important information is missing,cocoa trees give natural Potash.It is often used as a replacement for one of the N.P.K components.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I having 4acre of land near Mysore(Karnataka),where I can get the more information to grow that crop

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would like to procure one cocoa plant to grow at home. could you'll please guide me where to procure. Had purchased some seeds but they did not germinate.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am from Madurai. where can I get cocoa plant near Madurai.
    Pls send details to Padhiusaman@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi, I am looking to buy India grown cocoa powder. Any idea where to buy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sejal, You can buy from https://cocoatrait.com/product-category/shop/cocoa-powder/

      Delete
  14. Hi Sejal, You can buy from https://cocoatrait.com/product-category/shop/cocoa-powder/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi I need dried cocoa pods please can someone guide me where I can get the same. Whtsapp+919820120532
    shazen.herbals@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi I need dried cocoa pods please can someone guide me where I can get the same. Whtsapp+919820120532
    shazen.herbals@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey, I am a Chocolatier,
    I had my business in India for 6 years, now I am in New Zealand.
    I have been thinking to work with farmers and institutes to grow more cacao plants in India, and if possible. Exporting it to New Zealand.
    Can anyone help me to give links of people who are in this industry.
    Email me on
    Shalvimohindra11@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. It is a great product which can be added to shakes. It is very nutritious and have many benefits. It is a combination of five healthy benefits which are required for your body.
    Sugar Free Cocoa Powder

    ReplyDelete
  20. hii where can I get gmelina arborea seeds if u have please contact 8888842660

    ReplyDelete
  21. Superb. I really enjoyed very much with this article here. Really it is an amazing article I had ever read. I hope it will help a lot for all. Thank you so much for this amazing posts and please keep update like this excellent article.thank you for sharing such a great blog with us. expecting for your..

    wholesale fruit tree nursery

    ReplyDelete
  22. The information you shared with us was very helpful, thank you very much. Great post, Thanks for providing us this great knowledge, Keep it up

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you for sharing this amazing article! Cacao beans are the source of a healthy, satiating snack. CoBe Snacks chocolate covered bulk cocoa beans is perfect for those days where you can't stop eating dark chocolates! The unprocessed Cacao contains both fiber and protein so it will keep your stomach full without sacrificing taste or flavor.

    ReplyDelete