cocoa cultivation and processing

How is cocoa cultivated?

COCOA IS GROWN ON TREES

The cocoa tree bears fruit on its trunk and branches. They are called pods. The pods contain seeds which are called cocoa beans. The beans are made up of a seed coat, a kernel and a germ.

What is cocoa processing?

The process involves harvesting coca, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding. These cocoa beans will then be imported or exported to other countries and be transformed into different type of chocolate products (Allen, 1994).

How long does a cocoa tree take to grow?

Growing a cacao tree — the plant whose pods are made into chocolate — takes patience. It takes three to five years for a cacao seed to become a fruiting tree.

How are cacao beans processed?

What to Do with Cacao Pods. Once the pods have been harvested, they are split open. The beans inside are then scooped from the pod and left to ferment with the pulp for about a week. ... They are then packed into sacks and transported to where the actual processing of cacao will be done.

What is the planting distance of cocoa?

First mark the rows for the cocoa trees, leaving about 2.5 to 3 metres between rows. Along each row, mark out with pegs the spots where the cocoa trees are to go. Leave about 2.5 to 3 metres between trees. In this way you can plant about 1 000 to 1 600 seedlings per hectare.

Which areas are best for cocoa cultivation?

In India, cocoa is grown primarily as an intercrop in Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, as the tree requires about 40-50 per cent shade. More than two-thirds of cocoa are grown in coconut groves and around a fifth with arecanut, with the rest in oil palm and rubber plantations.

Which country is leading producer of cocoa?

About 70 percent of the world's cocoa beans come from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. The Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the two largest producers of cocoa, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world´s cocoa.

What is the difference between Cocoa & Cacao?

Cocoa powder and cacao powder are very similar, the only difference being that cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature (and often packaged cocoa contains added sugar and dairy). ... So, cacao powder is made from fermented beans that have not been roasted.

Which is better cocoa or cacao?

Cacao is higher in protein, fibre, magnesium and iron. Cocoa powder without added sugar is still high in nutrition and is a more affordable option. Gram per gram cacao is more nutritious. However when you factor in that cocoa is far cheaper it means that per dollar cocoa is the better choice if budget is an issue.

How much money does a cocoa farmer make?

Fairtrade found average Ivorian cocoa farmer household income was $2,707 per year, with around $2,000 of income coming from cocoa, according to its survey of 3,202 Fairtrade certified farmers. This equates to total income of $0.93 per person a day.

How long does it take cocoa to bear fruit?

With care, most cacao trees begin to yield pods at peak production levels by the fifth year, which can continue for another 10‒20 years. Ripe pods may be found on cacao trees at any time, however, most countries have 2 periods of time per year of peak production.

How long does it take for cocoa to bear fruit?

"Cocoa is the only kind of tree that will bear fruit 24 months from planting. Coconuts and fruit trees take seven years to bear fruit," he says.

How many times a year are cacao pods harvested?

The pods on a tree do not ripen together; harvesting needs to be done periodically through the year. Harvesting occurs between three and four times weekly during the harvest season.

Is coffee made from cocoa beans?

Although we regularly use the terms coffee beans and cocoa beans, neither are actually beans. Coffee beans are the pits/seeds of bright red berries, and cocoa beans are seeds from the cocoa pod.

How many cocoa beans are in a pod?

Each pod contains 20 to 40 beans. Approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate.

How much is cocoa per acre?

Typically, a cocoa farm covers two to four hectares (five to ten acres) and each hectare yield 300 to 400 kilograms of cocoa bean in African farms. Farms in America has higher yield per hectare, as they are slightly larger in size and each hectare produces 500 to 600 kilograms of bean.

How much time does it take the cocoa tree to yield Cocoapods?

An evergreen tropical plant, the cocoa tree grows to a height of 4 to 9 m. It begins to yield cocoa pods after about 5-7 years.

How many types of cocoa beans are there?

There are three varieties of Theobroma cacao, as it was officially named in 1753 by the Swedish scientist Carl von Linné. They are criollo, forastero and trinitario, and multiple hybrids exist of each strain.

What is the ideal cocoa growing temperature?

Temperature

Cocoa trees respond well to relatively high temperatures, with a maximum annual average of 30 - 32ºC and a minimum average of 18 - 21ºC. The cocoa tree will make optimum use of any light available and is traditionally grown in the shade.

What is the rate of cocoa powder?

Questions & Answers on Cocoa Powder

Form	Min Price	Max Price
Powder	Rs 120/Kg	Rs 245/Kg

Which wind is harmful for cocoa cultivation?

3. Protection from Strong Winds: Strong winds are harmful for cocoa cultivation because they often blow off unripe pods which will be wasted. Hurricanes also do great damage to the cocoa trees in the West Indies and Central America.