The initial research into coca growing envisaged an industry based on 1,000 hectares of cocoa plantings.

Australian Chocolate (Charley’s) commissioned the “Conus Report Overview of Cocoa Industry September 2018” This re-affirmed that it was realistic to plant cocoa in far north Queensland to support a revenue target of $200 million for bean to bar chocolate. Currently 30 plus hectares are planted.  Australian Chocolate (Charley’s) envisages a vibrant industry producing quality local produce.

Australia’s cost of cocoa production is higher than most other areas. West Africa produces 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa. Their production costs are low; using in particular, low cost / no cost labour.

To compete Australia must produce high quality, high yielding cocoa. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture at South Johnstone in far north Queensland (FNQ) has been doing wide ranging research to improve the yield and quality of harvested cocoa pods.

Charley’s new plantings 

In 2021 the Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture made available high yielding cuttings to Charley’s. These cuttings will be used to as grafts onto our 4,000 Mt Edna root stock trees; which are propagating in our nurseries. We expect our 4,000 baby trees to be planted out later in the year.

More plantings are needed for a flourishing FNQ industry. Other growers need to enter the market. The Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture is able to make cuttings available to others.