United Cacao Ltd SEZC (LON:CHOC) CEO Dennis Melka caught up with DirectorsTalk to provide us with an update on the cacao market, peruvian elections and the recent Mars acquisition and it’s significance.
United Cacao Ltd SEZC seek to become the world’s largest and lowest cost corporate grower of cacao. By early 2016, we expect to have over 2,000 hectares planted making us the largest cacao estate in Latin America. By the end of 2017, we expect to complete the planting of our 3,250 hectare project area thereby making us the largest in the world.
A well-planned and managed cacao plantation has two revenue streams: Cacao, yielding a first harvest in the third year post field planting and achieving peak maturity in year seven;
Timber, planted along the exterior of the planting area to provide shade for the cacao, expected to be harvested in year 10 and a second timber harvest expected from the cover trees interspersed within the cacao planting area, from year 30 onwards.
The company began on-site operations in the project area in May 2013. The Group planted its first cacao seedlings in the nursery in July 2013 and its first field planting took place in November 2013; therefore, the Group expects its first cacao harvest in 2H 2016/ 1H 2017.
