IT seems like that sweet tooth of yours will have to be put on hold soon, with prices of cocoa, the main ingredient in our favourite chocolate bars, soon getting more expensive to purchase.
This dramatic increase has been brought about by a disappointing harvest in West Africa and a big drop in global cocoa production for the past season.
The full impact of these price rises has not been felt at the supermarkets, even though prices have risen with inflation.
It appears that in some instances the manufacturers will use the packaging size of their product and keep the price but give you less and hope you don’t notice. It’s a bit like a lot of other products that have gone the same way in our stores.
These tactics are generally unpopular with customers.
Few people are aware that cocoa is grown in the tropical areas of Australia.
Cocoa farming is a rigorous and labour-intensive process and there are a multitude of problems associated with this plant. In the past there was, and still is, a certain degree of environmental damage caused by deforestation to plant the crop, numerous pests to contend with and now climate change is changing the ways growers must look after their crop.
It takes a great deal of time and effort to grow the beans for your favourite chocolate bar, and when we purchase this commodity, we often forget the mountain of work that goes into the product. Both at ground level and the factory floor as well as transport and refrigeration costs.
Often the packaging on our chocolate bars will advise if it comes from a sustainable source and pricing is often a clue as to its source and goodness for you.
But you could have your chocolate and eat it too, by growing plants at home, however this is not for the faint hearted.
Growing a cocoa tree at home takes a lot of time and patience for instance, the trees take about five or six years to grow to about 1.5 metres tall.
In all this time they would have to be in the right climatic conditions. Then it takes five to six months for the cocoa pods to ripen from the pollinated flowers.
Cocoa farmers expect two harvests a year. A main harvest and then a one with lower yields. (I think, a little like a fig).
I’d rather spend more money on buying a nice bar of chocolate at the shop, knowing full well the trouble of growing my own and just stick to harvesting my own pineapple plants.
I finally got over my chocolate addiction; but I must admit, it was a “Rocky Road”.
Till next time.
