WHAT IS COCOA?
Cocoa or Cacao? Both words are derived from the same source – Theobroma cacao which means “food of the gods” and one can definitely understand why this was so. Indeed, these words are often used interchangeably. The contents of the cocoa tree (i.e. the beans) provide the basis for multitude of chocolate products. However, a detailed and thorough process must commence before cocoa becomes the chocolate we know and enjoy so much. The cocoa plant comes in four main varieties – forastero, criollo, trinitario, and nacional. 95% of the worlds production are in the forastero variety.
WHERE DOES COCOA COME FROM?
The cocoa tree is native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, as the fruits or pods were consumed by the people of pre-Columbian cultures 4,000 years ago. The first outsider to have chocolate was Christopher Columbus. However, it wasn’t until Hernan Cortez, a Spanish conquistador, brought the drink to court and added sugar that the drink became highly popularized. Indeed, the word chocolate comes to us from the Spanish language. Today, the fruit is primarily cultivated in western Africa with over 70% of cocoa being grown in the countries of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
WHO ARE THE BIGGEST EXPORTERS OF COCOA?
According to data pulled from the Observatory Economic Complexity (OEC) for 2019, Cocoa grossed $9.56B, ranking as the 329th most traded product in the world. The top exporters of Cocoa were Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Ecuador and Cameroon. The worth in value of exports by these countries were $3.84B, $1.61B, $715M, $668M and $647m respectively, cornering a large share of the global market. Between the years 2018 and 2019, exports of the beans grew by 3.32% resulting in an increase in value from $9.25B to $9.56B. Taken together, theses statistics suggest that West Africa is a major player when it comes to this market.
WHO ARE THE BIGGEST IMPORTERS OF COCOA?
Now coming to the issue of who are the top guns when it comes to importation of cocoa. At the top of the list is the Netherlands, with imports valued at $2.2B in 2019 alone. In second was Germany with an estimated import value of $991M, followed by Malaysia who had imports at $895M. The United States of America ranked fourth with import value of $869M and finally Belgium ranked in fifth with imports worth $729M. Given the use and outcome of this wonderful crop, it is not surprising to find these countries are the top importers of this popular produce.
HOW DO YOU GROW COCOA?
To begin your journey in growing cocoa, one needs a high temperature, plenty of water, and the surrounding air must usually be moist which is why it is advised to grow them is hot and humid regions such as Africa. Begin by choosing your seeds carefully, pick a good site for the plantation, and prepare it well. It is advisable to plant cocoa trees at the beginning of the rainy season. The young seedlings can be transported when they are six months old.
During the transplanting process, you should make a hole big enough to hold the root ball with the cocoa seedling. Be very careful not to twist the tap-root. Do not cover the crown with earth. Pack the soil down well around the tap-root, or the main dominant root. For the first few days, protect the cocoa seedling from the sun with adequate shade. However, the work is not yet finished friend. Be sure to search and remove seedlings that are not grown, remove weeds, keep the soil covered, prune the trees, apply fertilizer, and most importantly – protect the trees and saplings from diseases and insects. It is tedious work, yet the outcome is highly rewarding!
HOW DO YOU HARVEST COCOA?
After two years, the cocoa tree will begin to fruits and produce its first flowers. It is standard practice to cut down the flowers that appear on the tree as to not tire the tree since they would not produce fruits. When it comes to harvesting cocoa, there are generally two harvests – a small harvest at the beginning of the rainy season and a big harvest at the end of it. Unlike some produce, do not pick the pods when a few are ripe. Only pick the ripe pods that have a yellowish or reddish hue. Go through your cocoa plantation every two weeks to check for ripe pods and pick them. DO NOT pick the pods by pulling them off. Instead, you should cut the stem of the pod with a machete. Doing otherwise will ruin the tree.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH COCOA?
The cocoa beans go through an extensive process before becoming what we eat on the consumer’s end. First, the bean is fermented and then dried. After this, the beans are roasted, crushed, and finally grounded – producing a non-alcoholic liquor. By now, many know the multiple uses of cocoa and its applications in the world today but did you know the many health benefits it provides? Some individuals even use cocoa as medicine! The seeds from the pods are used for intestinal diseases, used to aid in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and even used as an expectorant for lung congestions.
The coating along the seed is also used for liver, bladder and kidney ailments such as diabetes to make a tonic used as a general remedy. One of the most famous end products of cocoa is chocolate, which does a lot for the heart, especially dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains a good amount of flavonoids, which is a chemical that is expected to lower blood pressure. Butter made from the bean can be applied to the skin to help combat and treat wrinkles. Indeed, within the manufacturing industry, cocoa butter is used as a base for various ointments and skin care products.
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED IN THE COCOA FARMING BUSINESS?
As usual, the first step is to determine your market. Understanding where your cocoa will be bought and sold will help you make the best decisions about your crop. Cocoa generates a lot of revenue for West African countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. It has such high demand and thus you are bound to be successful if only you follow the right path. If you are interested in getting started in the cocoa farming business, get in touch. We’d be happy to have a conversation about entering this high-demand market. Our team are specialists in organization development, and can help you get started with your agribusiness. Want to learn more? Get in touch.
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