Better Farming Series 22 - Cocoa (FAO - INADES, 1977, 32 p.): Growing cocoa: Why cocoa is grown

Better Farming Series 22 - Cocoa (FAO - INADES, 1977, 32 p.)

(introduction...)

Preface

Growing cocoa

Cocoa is grown on trees

What varieties of cocoa can be grown in Africa?

Why cocoa is grown

Choosing seeds and growing seedlings

(introduction...)

Choosing seeds

Sowing seed sin nursery beds or in baskets

Lifting seedlings from nursery beds

Choosing and preparing the plantation site

Choosing the site

Clearing the site

Preparing to plant cocoa trees

Planting cocoa trees in a plantation

Taking care of the plantation

(introduction...)

Weeding and soil cover

Pruning cocoa trees

Applying fertilizers

Protection from insects and diseases

Harvesting the pods

Processing cocoa beans

Why cocoa is grown

3. People grow cocoa trees in order to sell the cocoa beans that are in the pods.

The kernel of the cocoa beans is used to make cocoa and chocolate.

In the countries of Europe and North America people eat a lot of cocoa and chocolate.

But the cocoa tree does not grow in their countries; they buy cocoa from Africa.

The countries of Africa earn a lot of money by selling their cocoa.

With this money, they can build schools and dispensaries, they can build roads and modernize the country. For Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, cocoa is an important export crop.

But to earn more money, these countries must sell good quality cocoa.

Sometimes they sell cocoa of poor marketing quality, badly harvested and badly fermented and dried.

Cocoa Is better and fetches a higher price when 11 has been properly harvested, fermented and dried. In order to sell a lot of cocoa beans of good quality, the grower must:

· Choose the seeds and grow the seedlings carefully.

· Choose a good site for his plantation and prepare It well.

· Look after his plantation continuously.

· Harvest the pods and prepare the beans properly.