Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari district collector P Prasanthi announced that 250.17 metric tons of cocoa beans have been procured from 546 farmers in the district. This initiative aligns with the state government’s commitment to purchase every bean cultivated by cocoa farmers.

Special teams comprising Tahsildar, Horticulture officials and staff have been conducting field surveys to collect details of cocoa crops grown by farmers.

These surveys identified 331 metric tons of cocoa produce with 1,140 farmers in the field.

With this additional quantity, the district has achieved a total cocoa yield of 531 metric tons from 1,500 farmers. Out of this, 250.17 metric tons have been procured from 546 farmers to date.

To ensure cocoa farmers face no difficulties, a special cell has been established at the Kovvur RDO office under the supervision of the Horticulture Officer.

Collector Prashanthi stated that the entire cocoa stock is expected to be procured by the end of this month.

Cocoa companies are purchasing the beans at Rs 450 per kilogram, with an additional Rs 50 per kilogram being paid to the companies. This ensures that farmers receive Rs 500 per kilogram through the companies. She has set a target for officials to procure the remaining stock by June 30.

For any grievances or requests, farmers can contact the special cell at the Kovvur RDO office at 7995367797.