Georges Matthew
George Matthew got into cocoa production to keep his farm going
Without the squirrels, George Matthew's attempt to become a cocoa bean farmer might have failed.
His agricultural career began in the 1970s when he inherited a rubber plantation in the southern Indian state of Kerala, which he managed alongside his career as a doctor.
It was a bad time to inherit a rubber plantation, falling rubber prices meant she continued to lose money. So, 10 years ago, Dr Matthew decided to experiment with cocoa trees, in the hope that they would generate funds to support the rest of the farm.
He bought saplings and planted them. It didn't go well.
“It was not a great success: most of the young trees died,” he says.
The squirrels seemed to make the situation worse by grabbing the cocoa bean pods and eating them.
But these raids had an unexpected benefit: cocoa seeds were spread throughout the farm.
“Any scattered seeds quickly grew into plants and they were much healthier and stronger than the saplings I had planted,” says Dr Matthew.
“The trick was sowing the seeds,” he realized.
Today, Mr. Matthews has 6,000 cocoa trees on his 50 acres of land.
“I think it’s the best decision I’ve made,” he says.
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Cocoa beans must be removed from their pods and processed
Although it has several regions offering suitable climatic conditions for cocoa trees, India accounts for only 1% of global cocoa bean production.
Global production is currently dominated by West Africa, where Ivory Coast and Ghana together produce more than half of the world's annual output.
Indian producers can only supply a quarter of the beans needed by Indian manufacturers of chocolate and other confectionery.
“The problem is that it's grown in small, very fragmented farms, so it doesn't get the kind of attention that cocoa should get,” says Renny Jacob, president of India Cocoa, a private company that has been growing and processing cocoa beans for over 30 years. only 30 years old.
In particular, he says Indian farmers are unable to handle beans after they are harvested. Once removed from their pods, the beans undergo a fermentation process on the farm, which can make a huge difference in their flavor.
“Cocoa fermentation is a critical process in chocolate production, transforming raw cocoa beans into a form suitable for chocolate making,” explains Sarin Partrick, managing director of India Cocoa.
“This complex process involves several steps and the activity of various microorganisms, which help develop the flavor, aroma and color of the beans,” he explains.
Cocoa India
The fermentation of cocoa beans develops their flavor, aroma and color
To increase the quantity and quality of cocoa bean production, the government has launched several initiatives.
It invests in projects aimed at developing hybrid cocoa plants, more productive than existing varieties.
In addition, there are programs to train farmers in the latest bean growing and processing techniques.
“There is a vast opportunity for Indian farmers to take up and benefit from cocoa farming,” says Dr Femina, who works in the government department responsible for developing cocoa production.
Companies are also investing in new varieties of cocoa trees.
Dr Minimol JS is the head of cocoa research at the Kerala Agricultural University and is working with Cadbury to develop hybrid cocoa trees.
In the project orchard, existing high-performance varieties are crossed with exotic species.
So far, the program has developed 15 new varieties.
“These are India’s first disease-resistant hybrid seeds,” she says.
“The seeds are drought tolerant varieties and have withstood temperatures up to 40°C, which is not usually possible,” she adds.
Hybrids are also much more productive than traditional varieties.
“The global average production is 0.25 kilograms per year per tree.
“In Kerala, we get 2.5 kilograms per year per tree. In Andhra and Telangana, we even get a yield of four or five kilograms per tree per year,” she says.
Kocoatrait
Nitin Chordia runs a school for cocoa farmers
Indian production of cocoa beans has increased significantly. This year, it reached 110,000 tonnes, an increase of 40% compared to 2015. But this is still not enough to meet the demand of local chocolatiers and confectioners.
India's Cocoa Board estimates that industry demand is growing at 15% per year.
Founded in 2019, Kocoatrait is part of a new generation of Indian chocolatiers.
Based in Chennai on the east coast, the company uses only Indian cocoa beans.
One reason for this is that locally sourced beans have a much lower carbon footprint than beans shipped from another continent.
Plus, says Nitin Chordia, founder of Kocoatrait, Indian beans are cheaper than imports and have a distinctive flavor.
Mr. Chordia also runs an agricultural school, where farmers learn about the latest innovations in bean fermentation and drying.
“We are constantly striving to improve the post-harvest practices of cocoa farmers in India,” he says.
He adds that Indian farmers need to produce better quality beans.
“We are not able to compete with international players in the bulk cocoa bean segment,” he says.
Although improvements have been recorded, Indian producers still have a way to go.
“Over the last decade, in the fine flavor cocoa bean segment, India has started to come into focus… but it will be several years before all Indian fine flavor cocoa beans reach a stage of international recognition on a large scale.”
Back in Kerala, Dr Matthew reflects on his decade as a cocoa farmer.
“It’s a delicate plant,” he says. “Last year I had no yield. So no farmer can depend on cocoa alone – other trees have to be planted at the same time.”
Despite the challenges, he is optimistic. “The future is bright, with huge demand.”
“I was approached by a multinational to sell them my production, so I will make a good profit.”
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