Campco founder president Varanasi Subraya Bhat dies at 87

Bantwal, Dec 27: Varanasi Subraya Bhat, founder president of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO) passed away at his residence in Adyanadka in Bantwal taluk due to age-related deceases on Friday morning at around 4 p.m.

He was 87. Bhat is survived by two sons and two daughters.

The Campco factory which was set up in 1973 at Puttur was the brainchild of Mr Bhat, who was a cooperative leader.

The Campco's chocolate factory at Puttur is South India's only such factory and the country's second chocolate factory in the cooperative sector. The other chocolate factory belonging to Amul (Anand Milk Union Ltd.) was in Gujarat.

Campco was set up when cocoa growers in this coastal belt were in panic after the principle buyer of cocoa, which was a private company, suddenly stopped buying cocoa during the peak cocoa season citing slump in international cocoa price.

It forced the Campco to enter the cocoa market. With the financial assistance from the Union and State governments, the Campco set up the chocolate factory for creating market for cocoa. The then President of India Giani Zail Singh inaugurated the factory on September 1, 1986.

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