FARMERS' PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH - CUM-DEMONSTRATION PLOTS ON COCOA FOR ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY IN ANDHRA PRADESH

摘要

Cocoa is considered as a profitable plantation crop which is grown as mixed crop in coconut and oil palm gardens in Andhra Pradesh. Cocoa is included in the developmental agenda of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) because of its commercial and export values. The present demand in the Indian chocolate industry is 33,000 MT as against the production of 15,133 MT. The projected demand of cocoa in India by 2050 is 212 thousand tonnes as against the estimated supply of 121 thousand tonnes. With the projected supply, there would be a demand supply gap of 90 thousand tonnes of cocoa beans in 2050. To achieve this target, the cocoa production in the country should increase at an annual growth rate of 7.68 per cent considering the market growth at 20%. Andhra Pradesh is a major producer of cocoa in the country with an annual production of 5600 tonnes (37 %) from an area of 22110 ha (31 %). There is great potential for enhancing production of cocoa in Andhra Pradesh by increasing area under cultivation especially as a mixed crop in coconut and oil palm plantations. Area under coconut and oil Palm in Andhra Pradesh are 121.92 lakh ha and 1.68 Lakh ha respectively.