India Targets Cocoa Production Boost with Long-Term Strategy for Self-Reliance by 2040

India is preparing to the long-term strategy to achieve the self-sufficiency in the cocoa production by 2040. This will aims to reduce the heavy import dependence and to strengthen the agri-economy. The knowledge paper has been developed by to Grant Thornton Bharat in collaboration with FICCI outlines the comprehensive roadmap. As the cocoa imports crossing the $866 million annually the plan focuses on to boosting the domestic production along with the improving farmer incomes.

Why India Needs a Cocoa Mission

India currently produces the less than around 20% of the cocoa requirement and it leads to the significant supply-demand gap.

As consumption level are set to be expected to reach the 4.67 lakh tonnes by 2040 and this gap is widening.

This increasing demand is driven by the growth of the chocolate and food processing industry and will makes cocoa the strategically important crop.

By reducing the import dependence is essential for to strengthening the India’s agricultural self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

National Mission on Cocoa: Key Proposal

The roadmap strongly recommends to launching the National Mission on Cocoa and which will serve as the backbone of the strategy.

Key proposals include the,

• To establishing the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for cocoa
• Also to promoting research and development (R&D)
• By introducing policy and financial support measures
• And encouraging the digital transformation and traceability

This mission is aims to create the structured and sustainable cocoa ecosystem in India.

Phase-Wise Roadmap for Cocoa Growth

Phase No.	Roadmap
Phase 1 (2026–2028)	Focused on the foundation building Launch of the National Mission on Cocoa Set up the Centre of Excellence And develop the 250 hectares of seed gardens
Phase 2 (2028–2030	Capacity Building To train the 1 lakh farmers Distribute the 25 million seedlings Introduce the digital farmer registry and traceability system
Phase 3 (2030–2035)	Focus on to increase cocoa cultivation area to 1 lakh hectares Boost the productivity and R&D Meet the 50% of domestic demand of country.
Phase 4 (2035–2040)	Achieve the Self-Sufficiency and Global Positioning Achieve the complete self-sufficiency Also develop the India as a global cocoa processing hub Ensure the 100% digital traceability

About Cocoa

• It is the important plantation crop grown for the chocolates around the world.
• Known as a crop of the humid tropics climate and is native to the Amazon basin of South America.
• It mainly grown in the area of land around the equator between 20 degrees latitude north and south.
• It requires the annual rainfall of150-200 cm.
• The temperature range around of the 15°-39°C with optimum of 25°C is considered ideal.
• Major producing regions in the world: About the 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans come from the four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.
• In India it is mainly cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.