Chocolate Trees

[FNG]

I own a 3-acre lot in Orchidland. My realtor suggested I might grow cacao trees on this lot. I did a little internet reseach and cacao beans sound doable. Does anybody have any experience with this crop?

Willie Wonka

[allngood]

Aloha Willie
I can help. Former farm manager for Hawaii Cocoa, planted first Hawaii commercial cacao farm in Keaau, 1986.Feel free to email.
Allen
http://www.plantshawaii.com(cacao seedlings are listed here)
http://www.seedshawaii.com

[hpp4me]

Those are darn good credentials! Can this plant be grown in the lower, drier elevations of Puna? Our lot is on 3rd Ave (HPP) at about 80 feet. Just what kind of production will an acre produce at maturity?

[allngood]

Cacao is a true tropical plant, lower elevation is better.
Above 1,000 - 1,200 ft is marginal, plant will grow but yields are lower.
Wind is a big problem for the plant, not sure what you have on 3rd Street.
Yields have been projected to be 1,000 - 2,000 lbs per acre, based on grafted trees. There is no Hawaii grown data to confirm this, with possible exception of planting in Kona.
Allen

[hpp4me]

Even at 2000 lbs per acre, how can a farmer make good money growing this crop?

[allngood]

Aloha HPP
This is what we know about cacao in East Hawaii.
The trees do very well. The crop is a year round producer.
There are no known major pest problems. Once established,the crop is easy to manage.
Money to be made will depend on price paid to farmer by end user or your return if you decide to produce and market your own chocolate (value added).
The only end user in Hawaii that I am aware of is [url]http://www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com/
[/url] You might check with them on price they pay and potential return.
As with any business venture there is risk, and cacao or chocolate has a lot of unknowns.I do think it has the best potential of any ag crop I know of. If you need more info, email me directly allen@seedshawaii.com.
Allen

[emorata]

from what i've heard about cacao is that they are best started as understory trees, if left exposed to open sun, they get burnt and have stunted growth, so you need to pick taller trees to have these plants under so they can establish better....in thailand, i saw alot of cacao growing the alot of shady areas or completely under screens.

noel

[allngood]

Aloha Noel
Cacao is grown as an under story crop in many places. Clear under the larger trees and plant cacao. This can be done in Puna as well.

A newer method was developed to improve yields. Trees are planted in a grid to provide shade and cacao is planted underneath. The shade tree is Gliricidia sepium called Mother of Cacao.

Another method, developed in Malaysia and PI for optimum yields is called the "box method". Here you have perimeter windbreaks and heavy population of cacao in direct sun. The crop basically shades itself. This was used in Keaau in 1986 and worked very well.

General rule of thumb: more shade, less fertilizer, lower yields.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by hpp4me

Even at 2000 lbs per acre, how can a farmer make good money growing this crop?

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Who cares.... its chocolate []