Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, is facing a significant challenge as the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) reports that 81% of a major cocoa-producing region is afflicted with swollen shoot disease.
This troubling development comes at a time when cocoa prices have nearly doubled this year due to adverse weather and disease impacts in top producers Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Ghana and Ivory Coast collectively contribute approximately 60% of the world’s cocoa supply. However, hopes for a recovery in output next season are tempered by the severe outbreak in Ghana’s Western North region.
The region, Ghana’s third-largest cocoa producer by output, has 330,456 hectares infected out of a total area of 410,229 hectares, according to data from the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Cocobod, Ghana’s cocoa industry regulator.
Swollen shoot virus, which initially reduces yields before eventually killing the trees, necessitates the removal and treatment of infected trees and soil before replanting can occur. Joseph Aidoo, chief executive of Cocobod, recently disclosed that 500,000 hectares of cocoa-growing land are infected nationwide, representing 25.7% of Ghana’s 1.94 million hectares dedicated to cocoa cultivation.
Additionally, 100,000 hectares are unproductive due to aging trees, and another 100,000 hectares have been treated for swollen shoot.
The rehabilitation process is lengthy, with replanted trees taking two to four years to mature and produce beans. “Swollen shoot is clearly a serious problem that’s not improved in the last 12 months and is not going away,” remarked Steve Wateridge, a veteran cocoa expert and head of research at Tropical Research Services by Expana.
The ICCO also indicated that swollen shoot disease is spreading in Ivory Coast, although authorities there have been more reticent about disclosing the full extent of the outbreak. Wateridge previously estimated that up to 30% of Ivorian cocoa plantations might be infected.
Traditionally, Ghana produces over 800,000 tons of cocoa annually. However, this season’s output is expected to be just over half that amount due to the compounded effects of disease, aging trees, illegal gold mining, climate change, and smuggling. The ongoing severity of the swollen shoot outbreak underscores the urgent need for effective management strategies to safeguard the future of Ghana’s cocoa industry.