Strategic analysis on cocoa research station, KAU

1. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

2. COCA RESEARCH
STATION
KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

3. PREPARED BY
ANANYA P. P.
DEEPTHI BABU
ASWATHI K
VISHNU A

4. COCOA RESEARCH STATION, KAU
■ The pioneer research station in the soil of KeralaAgricultural
University
■ Cocoa research station was set up in the year 1978
■ It was earlier aided by theWorld Bank
■ Initiated as CCRP (CollaborativeCrop Research Program) project

5. ■ It is the largest germplasm for coco in Asia
■ Funded by Mondelez Foods India Ltd.
■ Vision-To breed high yielding, abiotic and biotic stress resistant
varieties of coco
- Improving processing and technological standardization
■ Mission- Control of presence of free fatty acids in coco fruit

6. SWOT Analysis
Strengths - Availability of technology
- Collaboration with Mondelez Foods India Ltd.
Weakness - Lack of co-operation from allied other chocolate
factories
- Lack of human resources

7. Opportunities- Improvement in primary processing of Cocoa
- Design machine for processing
- Use of 100% agro techniques
Threats -High need for ensuring the quality of planting
material as they could easily be affected by diseases

8. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
In India cocoa cultivation on commercial scale started with meagre
acreage in the states of Kerala, Karnataka andTamil Nadu in the 1960's.
Further expansion was sluggish up to 19701s, but by the middle of
19701s, consequent on ,the impressive rise in the price of raw beans in
Indian and international markets, there was a boost in the acceptance
of cocoa as a crop

9. Starting from a few hundred hectares during 1960's the area under
the crop increased to 1927 hectares by 1970-71 and to 29,000
hectares by 1980-81.
From this peak in area there was a drastic decline to about 22,500
hectares by 1982-83.
Decline in price of the produce was the reason for such a lack of
interest in this crop and the consequent decrease in area under
cultivation

10. Due to the sharp decrease in the price of cocoa and poor marketing
system, the decline in area started from the following year and at the
end of 1987-88, the area under the crop came to only about 18016
hectares.
As a result of this Cocoa Research Station was setup in the year 1978.
The price of cocoa started reviving and cocoa cultivation slowly
increased.

11. Cocoa Research Station was initially aided byWorld Bank
It was introduced as a CCRP (Collaborative Crop Research
Programme)
Later on a research station was set up inTNAU but it was not
elevated to the power of a research centre as that of KAU. Cocoa
station inTNAU is attached with their Plantation Department
ORGANISATIIONAL ANALYSIS

12. Being a tree crop, cocoa takes about 4 to 5 years to yield in
suitable quantities. The production is usually measured in terms
of dry beans
The output of dry beans was only about 40 tonnes in 1974-75
which shot up to about 3750 tonnes by 1980-81.
Production of cocoa in India has been constrained by several
factors affecting both the area and yield in terms of quantity
and quality.

13. To enhance the market value of coca and improve the current status of
cultivation in coca, Cocoa Research Station collaborated with Cadbury
in the year 1987.
Cadbury- Mondelez Foods India Ltd.
TNAU has also got collaboration with Mondelez Foods India Ltd.
The processing of coca beans started in the Station from the year 1986
onwards.

14. STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT
Cocoa Research Station adopts only 100% agro steps in processing
and value adding its cocoa pods and in raising the saplings.
This step is financially risky and the station was running short of fund
The Directorate of Cashew nut Development which was handling only
cashew got the mandate for development of cocoa in 1997.
Though cashew and cocoa enjoys different parameters, both are cash
crops of high economic importance and in 1997-98 the.

15. Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development started driving
both the crops on similar tracks.
DCCD subsidy can be obtained only if the size of the cultivation land
should be a minimum of 1 acre
60% of the total cost is generated as subsidy
DCCD subsidy is useful for both the cultivation and value addition of
cocoa

16. The collaboration with Mondelez Foods India Ltd. Has also helped
the Station to improve a lot in the activities carried out by them.
Mondelez Foods India Ltd. Provide the Station with a sum of 20
lakhs in a year for carrying out its research activities in a year.
They also give them Rs. 8 per coca pod that they have produced.
But they do not fund them for any processing activities

17. Coca Research Station, KAU has been giving training to Coca Farmers
and many SHGs on how to crop Cocoa and value add its yield.
The station has its own small scale processing unit, where the value
added products of cocoa are made by hand and by using simple
home- machines
New researches are being carried for identification of new products of
cocoa

18. It takes 150-170 days from pollination for attaining harvest stage.
Ripening takes about 25 days and pods remain suitable for
harvesting for fairly long time.
Harvesting should be at regular intervals – once in 7-10 days.
The largest cost element in both establishing and maintaining
plantation is the labour.
Shortage of manpower is a serious threat to the Station.

19. Cropping of cocoa requires profound man power, which the
station lacks
The station is trying to meet this gap by hiring more and more
professionals and skilled labours through interviews and PSCs
Cocoa pods that the station produces are traded with Mondelez
Foods India Ltd.
The saplings raised are kept for local trade
They produce about 1.5 lakh cocoa saplings in ayear

20. YEARS/ MILESTONES
1978- Established as a CCRP Project., aided byWorld Bank
1987-Collaboration with Mondelez Foods India Ltd.
1986-Processing of coca started
2010- Obtained the status of a Centre