FARMS: COCOA (bean) PLANT. (OPERATION FEED THE WORLD).....
There are so many write up about pest of crops in the internet. I have took some time to make research about COCOA PLANT.
As the on going project on farm is going on initiated by my mentor @Sirknight and @steemchurch. I want to talk about cocoa plant that can help agriculture in the society.
WHAT IS COCOA PLANT?
The cocoa bean, also called cacao bean, and is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and, because of the seed's fat, cocoa butter can be extracted.
Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of Central and South America.
image source
Its seeds, called cocoa beans, are processed into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and chocolate. This article treats the cultivation of the cacao plant.
image source
HOW CAN I PLANT A COCOA SEED?
To start to grow a coconut plant, begin with a fresh coconut that still has the husk on it. When you shake it, it still should sound like it has water in it. Soak it in water for two to three days. After the coconut has soaked, place it in a container filled with well-draining potting soil.
To avoid this, water the beds before lifting the seedlings. Sometimes the young seedlings do not grow well and do not gain much height. To make the cocoa trees grow better, sow your seeds in small baskets or polyethylene bags.
These baskets or bags can be about 30 centimetres high and 20 centimeters wide.
The fruit of the cocoa tree is contained in a pod, which from utter smallness develops in ... A cocoa patch is a sort of orchard of cocoa trees planted on a straight line, content, where the cocoa beans should soak for another twenty-four hours.
PREPARING TO PLANT COCOA TREES
Instead, you should always plant in rows.
Digging the holes. Before planting cocoa trees, the grower must dig holes in order to stir the earth and loosen it. When you are digging the hole, do not mix together the soil from above and the soil from below.
HOW LONG DOES' IT TAKES COCOA TREE TO GROW FRUITS?
It takes about 5 years for the tree to bear fruit, has a peak growing period of 10 years, but can extend for decades. 6. Cacao pods take 4-5 months to grow, several weeks to ripen, and are cut from the tree with a sharp blade.
image source
CLIMATE NEEDED IN COCOA FARMING
Most of the world's cocoa is grown in a narrow belt 10 degrees either side of the Equator because cocoa trees grow well in humid tropical climates with regular rains and a short dry season. The trees need even temperatures between 21-23 degrees Celsius, with a fairly constant rainfall of 1000-2500mm per year.>
Commercial cocoa bean crop yields may vary from under 100 to over 3,000 kg per hectare (110 to 2,700 pounds per acre), with the world average being between 340 and 450 kg per hectare (300 and 400 pounds per acre).
One sack (138 pounds) earns a Ghanaian farmer about $106, but can flavor more than 100 pounds of candy. Put another way: Ghanaian cocoa farmers are getting about 77 cents per pound, where a high-end maker selling 2-ounce chocolate bars for $9 apiece earns $72 per pound.
.
image source
USES OF COCOA
The flavonoids help your body process nitric oxide, which is why hot cocoa can improve blood flow, help lower your blood pressure and improve heart health. 6. The flavonoids in hot chocolate also help prevent platelets in your blood from mingling together and forming clots.
Cocoa powder is a powder derived from the cocoa bean, and it's used in everything from baked goods to savory dishes to cosmetics. Cocoa powder is a key ingredient in things like chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and other chocolate-based goodies and drinks.
"It's packed with antioxidants that help repair skin cells and neutralize harmful free radicals.
Hot chocolate, also known as Chocolate tea, drinking chocolate or just cocoa is a heated beverage consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener.
Cocoa contains caffeine and related chemicals. Eating large amounts might cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions, constipation, and might trigger migraine headaches.
Health benefits of cocoa include relief from high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, constipation, diabetes, bronchial asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and various neurodegenerative diseases. It is beneficial for quick wound healing, skin care, and it helps to improve cardiovascular health and brain health. It also helps in treating copper deficiency. It possesses mood-enhancing properties and exerts protective effects against neurotoxicity.
OTHER USES OF COCOA
1.it prevent cancer
- Treats Copper Deficiency
- Treats Constipation
- Enhances Mood
- Manages Obesity
Hope you have pick aloty from this my write up?
My thanks goes to @farms, @Sirknight and also @steemchurch.
Thanks for sharing this wouderful publication, a lot has been said, but will @farms will love to know more.... what is the market size for this crop.
Resteem
(to be a part of this community; ensure to always use #farms and #steemchurch for agricultural related post)
Production of sustainable cocoa significantly impacts the economies of many developing countries and provides livelihood for an estimated 40 to 50 million people globally. Unlike larger industrialized agribusinesses, the vast majority of cocoa still originates on family-run small farms that have limited access to resources and organized markets. To address the many challenges confronting global cocoa production, public- and private-sector actors are increasingly partnering to dedicate funding and expertise to improve sustainable cocoa farming and the commercial conditions of the local developing economies. With the help of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), these efforts will translate into better livelihoods at the farm level, increased resources and investment at the national level, and a safer, more secure environment for smallholder farmers that supply the bulk of cocoa production for the world’s consumers.
This post is extremely awesome and educational. The cocoa bean, likewise called cacao bean, and is the dried and completely matured seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and, as a result of the seed's fat, cocoa spread can be removed.
Thats a good inniriatvie cocoa has ben one of the crops in nigeria that sells most.
This post is very wonderful and informative. The cocoa bean, also called cacao bean, and is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and, because of the seed's fat, cocoa butter can be extracted.
Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of Central and South America. To start to grow a coconut plant, begin with a fresh coconut that still has the husk on it. When you shake it, it still should sound like it has water in it. Soak it in water for two to three days. After the coconut has soaked, place it in a container filled with well-draining potting soil.
To avoid this, water the beds before lifting the seedlings. Sometimes the young seedlings do not grow well and do not gain much height. To make the cocoa trees grow better, sow your seeds in small baskets or polyethylene bags.
These baskets or bags can be about 30 centimetres high and 20 centimeters wide.
The fruit of the cocoa tree is contained in a pod, which from utter smallness develops in ... A cocoa patch is a sort of orchard of cocoa trees planted on a straight line, content, where the cocoa beans should soak for another twenty-four hours. Cocoa contains caffeine and related chemicals. Eating large amounts might cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions, constipation, and might trigger migraine headaches. thanks for sharing
Cocoa is one of the Minerals very useful to both the Human Economy and a good source of revenue..
Thanks for sharing
thanks for sharing with us all ialways follow you for more good blog
Mmmmm. Great. I can't remember the last time I entered a cocoa farm. It has a lot of benefits. I love to eat the seeds raw. The juice is so nice.
Thanks alot
Thanks for sharing this posts!
@femiandrew
Thanks also
Beautiful concept, we @shahabshah appreciate your efforts.