Ghana’s cocoa harvest below average this season

Ghana’s cocoa harvest was 55% less than an average year, standing at 429,323 tons, as climate change induced heat waves took a toll on local farmers.

Special commodities monitors have predicted a catastrophic harvest in Ghana and other West African producers this year, following a heat wave and tree disease that damaged the harvest.

Cocoa farmers have struggled with two crop diseases that ditched production. The black pod disease and cacao swollen shoot virus hit cacao trees in recent months.

The meagre harvest in Ghana, the world’s top cocoa producer, sent prices of chocolate skyrocketing.

In April, the expected drop in output led authorities to increase farmgate cocoa prices by 58% to enhance the income of farmers.

In the US, end consumers are already feeling the heat after an increase in chocolate prices on store shelves by more than 10%, while in the UK prices increased by 12.6%.