Assam To Grow Cocoa For Swiss Chocolate Firms

By Naresh Mitra

Guwahati, Jul 25 : Cocoa cultivation may no longer be the monopoly of the south. For, the northeast is all set to embark on massive cocoa cultivation. To start with, cocoa will be grown in about 1,000 acre of Assam's Bongaigaon district and the produce will be exported to Swiss chocolate companies.

Bongaigaon district administration has targeted 1,000 families belonging to the Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and the Below Poverty Line categories and planned to involve them in cocoa cultivation as part of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) - ensuring that the marginalized families get 100 days' work.

Bongaigaon deputy commission Shantanu Gotmare told TOI that it's for the first time that cocoa cultivation has been undertaken in the northeast with government initiative. "The aim is not only to provide work as part of MGNREGA, but also to ensure good returns to the marginalized families through export. We have initiated cocoa cultivation in Bongaigaon district with the convergence of three schemes under MNREGA, Coconut Board and the horticulture department. The cocoa cultivation will be carried out in a mixed way along with coconut and black-pepper. Within five years, farmers can get the benefit from three crops," Gotmare explained.

At present, one kg of cocoa fetches about Rs 160. After five years, each family is expected to get Rs 76,000 by selling cocoa.

About 2.5 lakh improved variety of cocoa saplings have been readied for plantation covering 1,000 acre. The formal inauguration of this new crop variety cultivation will he held on August 3.

The deputy commissioner said cocoa cultivation in the district would be carried out in an organic way. International agencies will be roped in for certifying the produce as organic.

"Cocoa starts yielding from the third year of cultivation. We have already sealed a buy-back arrangement with the India. Organic Farmer Producers Company Ltd (IOFPCL), which in turn will export the produce to Swiss chocolate company," Gotmare said.

The drop in production in leading cocoa producing countries like Ivory Coast and Ghana, has escalated the price of cocoa in the international market. Leading chocolate companies are turning to India's cocoa producing states, mostly in south India.

Cocoa cultivation is going on in a big way in southern states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala has an estimated 10, 708 hectares under cocoa cultivation, while Andhra Pradesh has 14, 061 hectares. Tamil Nadu has about 6000 hectares under cocoa cultivation, while Karnataka is increasing its cultivation area. Now, Assam is all set to become a cocoa producing state.

"We have gone through the agro-climatic conditions for cocoa cultivation both in Kerala and Assam. We have found the condition in Assam is equally suitable for cocoa production," Gotmare said.

IOFPCL director and Rubber Board member Siby Monipally said, "The northeast has already proved its potential for rubber production. Now we are moving ahead with cocoa ".