‘It can produce good chocolate’: Nestlé supports CCN-51 cocoa growing in Ecuador

The plant Coleccion Castro Naranjal (CCN-51) was created in Ecuador by Homer Castro in the 1960s, but was not widely planted in the country until El Niño repercussions devastated the country’s fine flavor Nacional crop in 1997/98. It has greater resistance to fungal diseases and produces higher yields compared to Latin America’s fine flavor varieties. But it has been maligned for becoming a monocrop in some nations with Valrhona’s sensory expert claiming it is damaging Latin America’s cocoa quality as farmers neglect fine flavor cocoa. ‘Good chocolate’ if fermented properly Manuel Gutiérrez, business manager for cocoa sourcing in Ecuador for Nestlé, told ConfectioneryNews: “CCN51 is a popular hybrid and the yields are typically double that of Nacional. “It is a very compelling alternative for farmers and can’t be ignored. If fermented properly it can produce good chocolate with fruity notes.” Grafting support Under its sustainability initiative the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, Nestlé has provided technical training to cocoa farmers in the provinces of Manabí, Esmeraldas and Pichincha on grafting techniques for CCN-51. The farmers hope to use the grafting methods for 30,000 CCN-51 plants already on their farms, which they planted between 2015 and 2017. Nestlé expects the grafting techniques will save farmers 60% of the local price for purchasing new plants. Protecting Nacional cocoa Gutiérrez said Nestlé was also protecting Ecuador’s fine flavor cocoa. “Preserving the traditional Nacional varieties has been a key pillar of the Nestlé. Since 2009, Nestlé Ecuador has provided 700,000 Nacional plants to renew the cocoa orchards and helped farmers maximize the yields from these plants,” he said. He added: “The Nacional cocoa beans are the variety which can deliver Arriba flavor and can be used to produce fine chocolate with floral notes.” The Ecuadorian cocoa sourcing chief said Nestlé would support farmers on good agricultural practices regardless of the variety they want to plant. Read more about the pros and cons of CCN-51 HERE.

‘It can produce good chocolate’: Nestlé supports CCN-51 cocoa growing in Ecuador

Nestlé Ecuador says CCN-51 can produce ‘good chocolate’ as it provides technical assistance to farmers growing the high yielding cocoa variety.

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