Ghana says about 23% of cocoa tree stocks unproductive
About 23% of the country’s cocoa tree stocks have been observed to be unproductive, according to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The cocoa trees spread across the nation are said to be over 30 years.
“It has been observed that about 23% of cocoa tree stocks nationwide are above 30 years and thus unproductive,” said the COCOBOD.
In addition to this observation, most farms are also “heavily infested with mistletoes and diseases thereby reducing the potential yields of cocoa in those farms,” the cocoa regulator noted.
Making cocoa production sustainable
The COCOBOD has embarked on a project known as the National Cocoa Rehabilitation programme.
According to the Board in a press release January 23, 2012, and copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, the programme seeks to increase and sustain cocoa production in Ghana through rehabilitation and replacement of old and diseased cocoa trees with improved hybrid varieties.
Activities of the scheme which will cover six years, the COCOBOD says “shall involve the cutting out of unproductive cocoa trees (farms) using chainsaw machines and applying aboricides and replanting with hybrid cocoa variety; assisting farmers with technical support to raise part of their seedlings requirement through the establishment of community nurseries; establishing temporary and permanent shade and applying fertilizers/manure to enhance growth and maturity.”
It will also involve the control of parasitic plants-mistletoes nationwide and the filling of vacancies in the established farms, it stated.
The outfit has informed all farmers interested in the rehabilitation programme to pick up forms from district offices of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Unit (CSSVD-CU) of COCOBOD for registration stating clearly that “that establishment of new cocoa farms in forest reserves is strictly not part of the rehabilitation programme.”
The government announced in the 2012 budget statement to Parliament that it had allocated funds for the supply of 20 million hybrid cocoa seedlings free of charge to farmers in 2012.
Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world.
By Ekow Quandzie