Stress on joint strategies to overcome challenges

Vijayawada: Dr YSR Horticulture University has set up cocoa clonal orchards at Vijayrai near Eluru to produce high quality cocoa saplings to achieve high yield, said director of AP Horticulture department Dr K Srinivasulu. A stakeholders meeting on cocoa cultivation was jointly organised by Kochi-based Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development (DCCD) under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Andhra Pradesh Horticulture department here on Wednesday.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Srinivasulu said that the Horticulture department in association with Dr YSR Horticulture University has been preparing action plans for the comprehensive development of cocoa cultivation. “The department has been extending loans to cocoa farmers for undertaking cocoa cultivation, drying of beans, fermentation pack houses, production of chocolates and cocoa powder-based industries,” he said.

The state of Andhra Pradesh has been leading the country in cocoa production by cultivating in 30,552 hectares producing 12,135 metric tonnes of dried beans. Particularly, farmers in the districts of Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Srikakulam, Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Parvatipuram Manyam are cultivating cocoa with Eluru leading the pack in the extent of cultivation area.

The cocoa cultivation could be undertaken as intercrop in coconut and oil palm orchards. Plans are afoot to extend cocoa cultivation by 5,000 hectares every year. The meeting discussed various issues including production of hybrid and clone varieties of cocoa saplings, demand and supply problems of cocoa yield, production of quality cocoa beans, value addition and management of crop after reaping. Director of DCCD Dr Femina, additional directors of Horticulture M Venkateswarlu, Balaji Naik and Harinath Reddy, assistant director Sudha, ICAR scientist Dr S Aline Afsara, research director of Horticulture university Dr M Madhavi, officials of Mandalese India Foods, Campco Ltd, Cocoa Trait and NTR district horticulture officer Dr P Balaji also participated.