Kakinada: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district collector R. Mahesh Kumar has called on horticulture officials to develop the district as a cocoa hub by increasing the area under cocoa cultivation in a gradual manner.

The collector convened the District Cocoa Committee meeting in this regard on Thursday at Amalapuram, with Horticulture University scientists and horticulture department officials being present.

Mahesh Kumar pointed out that cocoa had been grown as an intercrop in plantations of coconut, which provided the main income. But there have been instances when coconut got infested with pests and cocoa turned out to be the only source of income for farmers.

The collector regretted that farmers do not have proper awareness about processing cocoa. They are thus unable to get a profitable price for their crop. He said district authorities are planning to establish a fermentation centre over 1,000 acres of land to teach farmers how to harvest the crop, ferment and artificially dry the nuts.

Mahesh Kumar said currently, there is a shortage of cocoa in the country. He thus emphasised on increasing the area under cocoa cultivation.

Dr Tirupathi of Horticulture University, senior scientist Dr. Madhavi Latha, district horticulture officer B.V. Ramana and Naveen Kumar were present.