ICCO Sounds Alarm as Swollen Shoot Disease Ravages Ghana’s Cocoa Industry

Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, is grappling with a significant challenge as the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) reveals that 81% of the Western North region, a major cocoa-producing area, is afflicted with swollen shoot disease.

This 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, which collectively contribute approximately 60% of the world’s cocoa supply.

According to data from the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Cocobod, Ghana’s cocoa industry regulator, 330,456 hectares out of a total area of 410,229 hectares in the Western North region are infected. Swollen shoot virus, which reduces yields before eventually killing the trees, requires the removal and treatment of infected trees and soil before replanting can occur.

Cocobod’s chief executive, Joseph Aidoo, 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. Steve Wateridge, a veteran cocoa expert and head of research at Tropical Research Services by Expana, noted that swollen shoot disease is a serious problem that has not improved in the last 12 months and is not going away.

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.

Ghana traditionally produces over 800,000 tons of cocoa annually, but 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.