Characterization of Processes in the Cacao (Theobroma Cacao L) Production at Small Scale in the Municipality of Guamal, Colombian Piedemonte Llanero
Abstract
Cocoa production is one of the productive alternatives in the Piedemonte Llanero region, the process of cultivation and processing of cocoa is essential for farming families and is carried out in a traditional way, in rural areas of producing municipalities in the region there is evidence of the use of different traditional systems, cocoa cultivation plays a key role in the resilience of small cocoa farmers, from the social and economic point of view, however, there is little research on the processes of cocoa processing on a small scale. The objective of this research was to characterize the process of cocoa processing in small-scale production in the municipality of Guamal, Meta, Colombia, taking into account the stages of harvesting, fermentation, drying and storage. The information was collected through the application of semi-structured interviews, which were carried out in the productive units of the rural area of the municipality with a cocoa crop of less than 4 hectares, called small producers. The main results showed that small farmers have mixtures of varieties in their crops, identifying a total of eight varieties or clones. Additionally, two fermentation systems were found: wooden boxes (82 %) and plastic sheets (18 %). Three drying systems were also identified: shade structures (64 %), Elba house (29 %), and plastic sheets (7 %). It was also found that the labor force relies on older adults and women, and some productive units carry out processing of cocoa derivatives such as alcoholic beverages, cocoa nibs, table chocolate, and composting. There is no evidence of concern for the final quality of the beans, as there is no differential price for implementing good post-harvest practices.
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