Hearing about cocoa farming often scares people in Kerala, and they tend to chase away those who promote it. The shock of the 1980s market crash still lingers among farmers. Cocoa farming spread across the country in the 1970s with encouragement from large companies like Cadbury. Their subsequent withdrawal from the market or reduction in prices caused the crash. The primary lesson is never to start a venture relying solely on others.
If cocoa cultivation suits Kerala, huge potential remains. Within the next 6-7 years, India’s ice cream market is projected to grow to INR 575bn (~USD 6.9bn). Cocoa is a key ingredient, and it has many other applications beyond ice cream, indicating a very strong domestic market. India currently produces only 22-30% of its total demand, importing approximately 20,000 tonnes of cocoa beans in 2025.
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