CAMPCO chocolate production to increase by 5,000 tonnes

CAMPCO chocolate production to increase by 5,000 tonnes

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 11, 2016: It is reported that the demand for cocoa beans is expected to rise as Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. will step up production by 5,000 tonnes, at its Puttur chocolate factory within a month.

Thus, the factory’s total production capacity would shoot up from 18,000 tonnes to 23,000 tonnes per annum creating a demand for both wet and dry beans which will be welcomed by local farmers.

M. Suresh Bhandary, Managing Director, CAMPCO, told media that machinery was being installed now to increase the production of bulk chocolate. They were chocolates weighing more than a kg. Bulk chocolates were base chocolates used for producing various value-added products. They were used as coating in biscuits, as toppings in ice-cream, and for preparing various value-added chocolate products.

The machineries were being installed by investing about Rs. 4 crore. The installation would be completed in a month, he said.   Bhandary added that now the factory produced about 5,500 tonnes of bulk chocolates. With the installation of new machinery the production of bulk chocolates alone would go up by another 2,000 tonnes making it 7,500 tonnes per annum.

“The demand for bulk chocolate from CAMPCO was up by about 22 per cent in 2015-16 from 2014-15,” he said.

The managing director said that the factory now used 2,600 tonnes of dry beans per annum for manufacturing various cocoa-based products.    When the factory delivers more bulk chocolate, it will need 1,000 tonnes more of dry cocoa beans. So, it will  create higher market consumption for cocoa growers to celebrate.

The price of wet cocoa beans was hovering around Rs. 50 and above for the past three years. CAMPCO offered Rs. 53 to Rs. 55 a kg for wet beans now.  The price of dry cocoa beans was Rs. 200 a kg. The imported dry beans would cost about Rs. 220 a kg (Rs. 190 base price plus taxes). Hence, chocolate manufacturers would prefer to opt for local wet beans.

He said that in addition to bulk chocolate, the beans were required to produce cocoa butter, cocoa mass and cocoa powder. The butter was used in making premium chocolates and powder in making biscuits, ice cream and chocolate and so on.