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El Castillo del Chocolate

Chocolate & Cacao

The Nicaraguan Cacao Market

The Nicaraguan cacao producers grow some of the best cacao varieties in the world. Still, Nicaragua annually imports one thousand metric tonnes of chocolate products (chocolates, cacao powder, cooking chocolate etc). This paradox shows that there is a big potential demand for Nicaraguan produced chocolate in Nicaragua; a demand that is currently not being met.

Nicaraguans and other Central American peoples, by tradition, prefer their cacao unfermented while the chocolate industry needs fermented cacao. This situation hinders the Nicaraguan cacao producers to enter the international market as well as to develop a local chocolate industry.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Cacao

Internationally there is a growing demand for special varieties of cacaos, cacao pastes, and chocolates. Dark, natural chocolates, such as produced by El Castillo del Cacao (CdC), are widely accepted as the richest in taste and optimal in nutritional content. Finally, the fermentation process can add up to ten percent more to the value of Nicaraguan cacao on the international market. A further ten percent increase can be obtained for organic cacao.

With a larger capacity CdC can supply the local as well as the international markets with high-end quality cacao and chocolate products. Larger scale production will create bigger spin-offs, adding value to the local product cacao and increasing income for local producers.

A shown, the Nicaraguan cacao market is in great need of a re-start from its present latent state. For Nicaraguan produced fermented cacao, the potential is limitless. CdC is seeking financial inputs and strategic partnerships for the realization of a full-scale cacao processing plant in Nicaragua for the production of chocolate and cacao paste for the local and international markets.

CdC is establishing partnerships with cacao producers and international buyers to secure a flow of cacao produced under good conditions and of stable quality. With investment in a processing plant CdC will respond to the local demand for chocolate products and an international interest in high-end specialty cacao and cacao pastes. Furthermore, CdC functions as a center of expertise in cacao varieties, giving advice on quality, prices and new skills.

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