Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO) has proposed to develop a chocolate park at Kavu, near Puttur, on the Mani-Madikeri-Mysuru National Highway 275, according to CAMPCO president A. Kishor Kumar Kodgi.
The board of the cooperative will take a decision on making a proposal, mooted during the 49th Foundation Day of the cooperative a week ago, a reality in its meeting this week.
Mr. Kodgi told The Hindu that if the board agrees, it has been proposed to commission the park after a year when the cooperative completes its golden jubilee. It will be dedicated to the memory of founder-president late Varanashi Subraya Bhat.
The park has been planned near the new warehouse of CAMPCO at Kavu. The park, as per the proposal, will have a museum on cocoa and chocolate products and a cafeteria among other facilities. There will be a mini demonstration unit to explain to people the process of making chocolate and cocoa products. It will have a counter to sell cocoa products of CAMPCO and a children’s play area.
It is expected to serve as a stop-over for tourists on the national highway to witness how cocoa is cultivated and introduce them to how cocoa beans can be made use of for making different food and other products. The park will also serve as a brand building initiative of the cooperative, he said and added that it might require at least 50,000 sq ft area.
Managing Director of the cooperative H.M. Krishna Kumar said that the construction of the new warehouse has almost been completed. It has a capacity to store 15,000 tonnes of arecanut, pepper, cocoa beans.
The warehouse built on about one lakh sq ft area has halls for storing cocoa beans, rubber, arecanut and pepper seeds. Sterilised pepper seeds will be stored in the warehouse. It will also have cleaning and grading units for arecanut and pepper.
The warehouse will help maintain the quality of produce before they reach the market.
