23-07-2025
CAMPCO all set to enhance production capacity of its chocolate factory by investing ₹24 crore
The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (CAMPCO) Ltd., Mangaluru, is all set to increase the production capacity of its chocolate factory at Puttur by investing about ₹24 crore.
According to A. Kishore Kumar Kodgi, president of the multi-State cooperative of Karnataka and Kerala farmers, the production capacity of chocolate refinery and the cocoa butter pressing unit at the factory will be increased by investing ₹8 crore and ₹16 crore, respectively.
'Our target is to enhance the total production capacity of the factory from about 13,704 MT to about 19,000 MT,' Mr. Kodgi told The Hindu.
Following the board's approval the machinery upgradation at the factory has begun, the president said adding that it is likely to be over by this year end.
The cooperative now manufactured 36 cocoa products, with six premium ones, at its factory.
Production
The CAMPCO produced 12,579.20 MT of cocoa products under its own brand during 2023-24. The production under job-work arrangement during the same financial year was at 1,093.20 MT.
Mr. Kodgi said that the cooperative recently stopped manufacturing chocolates for some major private players in the chocolate market under job-work arrangement at the factory. 'Once the upgradation is over, our plan is to make full utilisation of the factory's capacity for producing only own brand of cocoa products,' the president said.
The cooperative sold cocoa products worth ₹345.07 crore (net) including ₹68.35 crore under finished/retail chocolate product segment, ₹259.55 crore under industrial chocolate product segment, ₹17.17 crore under export account and ₹2.79 crore under other sales.
The processing charges collected on job-work arrangement amounted to ₹3.25 crore.
According to the annual report of the cooperative, it procured 1,762.36 MT of wet cocoa beans valued at ₹13.37 crore in 2023-24. The dry beans purchased during the same year stood at 5,249.26 MT and it was valued at ₹140.79 crore.
The CAMPCO distributed 27,555 of cocoa seedlings to grower members at subsidised rate during the same financial year.
The cooperative launched three new chocolate products — Dark Delight Dark Chocolate, Dome Delight Premium Truffles, and the Campco Orange Eclairs – on its Founders Day on July 11.
