People of all ages enjoy chocolate and the main ingredient of chocolate production is a fruit called cocoa. This fruit is widely cultivated in South America as an agricultural product and gives better yield in areas where the soil is acidic. This fruit that has its roots in the Amazon can be successfully cultivated in Savar and the hilly areas of Bangladesh.
A few cocoa seedlings were brought from Vietnam for research in 2014. Some of these seedlings were planted in the Horticulture Center, a government institution established in Rajalakh of Savar. Two of the trees have grown big and have been bearing fruit as well. Experts think that if cultivated, local farmers and traders can benefit from it.
According to data, cocoa used to be consumed by people even 5,000 years ago. It is believed that this fruit has spread from the Amazon to the entire world. Cocoa is now widely cultivated in Africa's Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. It is also cultivated in some Asian countries.
This correspondent recently visited the Savar Horticulture Center and inspected the cocoa trees there. Both the plants have now matured. The trees are now 7 to 8 feet tall and are bearing fruit.
Staff members at the centre said that in 2014, seedlings were brought in and planted in Bangladesh. The ones in Savar have been bearing fruit for the last 3 to 4 years.
Dilip Chandra Sarkar, deputy assistant officer at the center, told Dhaka Tribune about the method of cocoa cultivation.
“Seedlings can be found from the seeds of the cocoa fruit. Apart from this, seedlings can also be produced through cuttings. They generally start bearing fruits after 5-6 years of planting and yield fruits three to four times a year. As a result, it can be said that cocoa trees bear fruit throughout the year. Also, the plant does not fall prey to any disease,” he said.
It takes three to four months for the fruit to ripen. The shells are gray and yellow in color and the cocoa is hidden inside. The taste of the ripe fruit is sweet and sour. The fruit can be extracted and processed to make chocolate powder, the staff member added.
“The colour of the fruit is brown and it is 30cm long and 10cm thick. The shell is as hard as leather. Each fruit contains around 20 to 40 seeds. The seeds are first wrapped in banana leaves and fermented. After drying in the sun and peeling, a clean shell is obtained. This shell is called cocoa bean. Cocoa bean powder is used in making chocolate products,” he added.
"The cocoa fruit is widely used in making high quality chocolate, butter, ice cream, bread, pudding, cosmetics and beverages," Dilip Chandra Sarkar further said.
A mature tree produces around 35kg of fruit each time. Through processing, 30kg of chocolate can be obtained from it. The price of chocolate powder per kg is currently around $40. As such, it is possible to earn more than $1000 a year from a tree, he said.
Regarding the possibility of cultivating cocoa in Savar, Dilip Chandra Sarkar said: "Acidic soil is required for the growth of saplings. The red soil of Savar is suitable for growing seedlings of this tree. We have trees growing here. They are now bearing fruit. Similarly, the soil of hilly regions of the country is also suitable for cocoa production. It can also be cultivated in roof gardens.”
He said that there are at least five to seven lakh hectares of uncultivated land in the hilly regions of the country. The chocolate powder of this fruit is rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and K and is currently imported. If its production increases in the country, it can open up a big avenue of income for many people.
Asked whether there is any government initiative in this regard, Dilip Chandra Sarkar said: "We are producing saplings. They are being distributed at nominal cost and free of charge. Many are cultivating it. For its further expansion, project proposals have been submitted to the relevant department. Everyone is sincere about the matter.”