| ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Entrepreneurs see potential in Hawaiian chocolate
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- Whether it's used to coat macadamia nut clusters, dip fresh island fruits in or flavor a cup of Kona coffee, chocolate sweetens virtually anything grown in Hawaii. Some people also see it as an agricultural product that can enhance Hawaii's economy like no other. Entrepreneurs, farmers and even state lawmakers agree that Hawaii, as the only state with a climate temperate enough to support the cacao trees that provide chocolate's key ingredient, is positioned to become a player in the global chocolate market. "These are two words that the world knows: Hawaii and chocolate. You don't have to construct the definition anywhere," said Richard Oszustowicz, founder of Hawaii Gold Cacao Tree Inc., a company on the Big Island with big plans for the industry. State legislators recognized the potential of Hawaii Gold Cacao's plan by approving $10 million in special purpose revenue bonds for the company and passed a resolution that declared chocolate's potential to diversify Hawaii's farm economy. "We've done well with coffee, Tahiti has done well with vanilla and we have the background of sugar in our history that I think chocolate is poised to be the next big crop," said state Rep. Corrine Ching, the resolution's author. Oszustowicz points to Hawaii's proximity to Asia to illustrate the potential. He notes that a mere 8 ounces of chocolate is consumed per person per year in China, compared with 20 pounds in the United States and 30 pounds in Europe. In five years, Oszustowicz forecasts that Hawaii Gold Cacao could have as many as 10,000 acres of cacao trees (with about 1,000 trees per acre) growing in Hawaii, and up to 28,000 acres by 2014. The trees last up to 40 years and often are ready for first harvest within 30 months of planting. They reach full maturity between six and 10 years, which is twice as fast as macadamia nut trees, according to Hawaii Gold Cacao. "I think we're going to surpass sugar in its heyday," he said. "We're very, very lucky because the environment here is so superb. The volcanic soil causes a high-quality bean." Hawaii Gold Cacao has plans for a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art factory in North Kohala that would employ about 200 people. That's considerably larger than the small Kona Coast home where Bob Cooper and his wife, Pamela, turned out their first 500-pound batch of Hawaii grown and processed chocolate in September 2000. The Coopers and their Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory still operate from home and turn out about 2,000 pounds of chocolate every month. "It's small, but good things come out of small packages," Cooper said. "We could actually produce 5,000 pounds a month if we were to diversify." But Cooper refuses to import cacao beans from other countries. While importing beans would allow him to produce more chocolate and lower costs -- limited resources force him to sell 4-ounce bars at $8 to $12 each -- it also would take away from what he feels makes the chocolate unique. By not importing beans, Cooper said, Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory's operation is "keeping it very special and keeping it Hawaiian." Even at $9 a bar, the chocolate doesn't stay on the shelves long at Cook's Discoveries store in Waimea on the Big Island. "I'm surprised at how rapidly it sells, given the price on it," said owner Patti Cook. "This chocolate is excellent." Hawaii Gold Cacao selected seeds for its trees from specimens in Central America and South America, importing the plantable material to Hawaii in the late 1980s. Oszustowicz has said he would import other ingredients for making chocolate until the local cacao tree crop can be developed. And while their ideas on the scale of the state's chocolate industry are vastly different, both Oszustowicz and Cooper recognize the potential of their unique product. "Chocolate is a lifestyle product," Oszustowicz said. "You do it when you're depressed, when you're happy. It's something special." Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
