Fiscal Year:
2007
Title:
Establishing a New (Cacao) Orchard Industry for Hawaii
Agency:
USDA
Contract:
2007-33610-18481
Award Amount:
$342,826.00
Abstract:
Cacao trees grow and produce well in Hawaii but high costs and low international
prices for beans would make it unprofitable if farmers had to sell at these prices. By
establishing a small-scale chocolat d origin gourmet chocolate factory in Kona that
produces a high-value product for a limited target market, we can pay prices for cocoa
beans that are well above international market value - prices that can support local cacao
farmers. Our goal is to provide a sufficiently large high-value market for locally produced
cocoa beans, resulting in a new cacao industry in Kona. Phase I research allowed us to
evaluate the existing potential production of cocoa beans among Konas 58 self-identified
cacao farmers, evaluate our costs of production and test new packaging and an improved
product. Phase II will use Phase I research to target bottlenecks in our production and
marketing programs and allow research into whether a properly developed small-scale but
high-value processing facility can support a sizable and growing agricultural industry in
Hawaii.
Cacao and its product, cocoa beans, are third-world products. Hawaii often finds
itself competing with third-world produce, drastically limiting what local farmers can grow
economically. However, Kona coffee has shown that third world products can be produced
locally if quality and marketing are of high enough calibre. With cacao, we want to
accomplish the same thing in 10 years that Kona coffee had over a century to develop: a
high-quality, high-value, widely recognized market that can support local orchard
production.
Small Business Information at Submission:
Great Pacific Chocolate Company, Inc.
78-6772 Makenawai Street Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
EIN/Tax ID:
990346212
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
N/A
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No