Sep 07, 2010
First Ever Chocolate Factory Inaugurated in Brazil's Amazon Region
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The first ever chocolate factory in the Amazon Region of Brazil was recently inaugurated in the state of Para. Currently, there are 69,000 hectares of coco under cultivation in the state of Para and the coco acreage is growing at about 10,000 hectares per year. In the state of Para, there are an estimated eleven thousand families involved in coco production. Currently, the state of Bahia is the leading coco producing state in Brazil with 160,000 tons of production per year, which is 68% of Brazil total production. The Secretary of Agriculture in Para hopes that Para will take over the lead in coco production within five years.
The new plant will have the capacity to process 360 tons of coco beans per year with an annual production of 400 tons of chocolate. A new cooperative consisting of 60 coco growers was established to supply and run the facility.
Coco producers in the state of Para already have some of the highest coco yields in the world at 881 kilograms per hectare. Indonesia is the world leader in productivity at 908 kilograms per hectare. Coco production in the state of Bahia averages only 285 kilograms per hectare.
New coco production in the state of Para will meet organic standards as well as being certified internationally as sustainable because it is produced in such a way as to conserve water, reduce the use of chemicals, have higher nutrient content, and it aids in controlling soil erosion.
Coco beans produced in Para are also considered some of the best in the world in flavor, aroma, size and weight. Para coco beans are excellent for the production of fine chocolates because they average 23% more in fat than coco produced in other parts of the world.