Cadbury’s India to buy cocoa from Sri Lanka

By L.B. Senaratne

Negotiations are underway by Cadbury-India to purchase Cocoa from Sri Lanka through a tie-up with a local chocolate manufacturer, according to the Director of Export Agriculture Dr.M. Illangasinghe. He said there was a good future for Cocoa provided quality seeds could be produced by growers, in keeping with international market trends.

But, according to experts, the production of Cocoa in 2005 was insufficient even to meet the demands of the indigenous confectionary industry if one looks at the figures compiled by the Spice and Allied Products Producers Trade Association. These details were given at a workshop on "Spices - Allied Products-Production-Productivity Enhancement" held at the Citadel Hotel in Kandy recently.

Picture shows officials and participants at the workshop.

Ghulam Chatoor, a former chairman the Spices and Allied Products Traders Association (SAPTA) affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said there was a buyer for Cocoa in Germany, who is ready to work with Sri Lankan suppliers, but it should be processed according to his standards, especially the washing of the seed, in order to get the required colour.

He said this buyer had already visited Sri Lanka and seen the quality and the process of cleaning the seed, but he wanted a different quality and more quantity produced. He said this could be done, provided growers were able to supply sellers. He said suppliers should instruct the growers on their needs and the processing.

The fall in production of pepper in Vietnam is a positive development for pepper growers in Sri Lanka. It should be remembered that Vietnam was the largest supplier of pepper to the international market. There was a downfall in 2005 against the previous production in 2004, which reached a maximum of 98,494 metric tons. Participants at the workshop believed that there was every possibility of increasing the production of pepper if the necessary safeguards are in place.

Senior Deputy Director the Department of Export Agriculture I. Gunaratne briefed participants on "Pepper - Production and Productivity with special reference to integrated solid fertility management."

Another topic discussed at the workshop was “Cloves - Production and Productivity with emphasis on alternative bearing” by Senior Research Officer Dr.Y.M. Tapa Bandara and Graduate Extension Officer, Yoga Kulasekera. Another topic that is very rarely discussed was the cleaning of nutmeg and other means of making it worth for the export market.

Two officers from the Export Agriculture Research and Development M.G. Nirmala and Senior Extension Officer Upali Kodikara spoke on “Nutmeg - Production and Productivity,” with special reference to a newly identified disease and the market advantage of quality management. SAPTA Chairman L. Wickramasoooriya was also present at the workshop.