Bean disease decimates harvest in Ghana’s key cocoa farming region

The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) warned of a bean disease that has infected 81% of the cocoa harvest in Western North, Ghana’s third largest cocoa producing region.

The news came as Ghana, the second largest cocoa producer, reported a below average harvest this year at 429,323 tons, as climate change induced heat waves adds to plant disease.

The disease, known as swollen shoot virus, first reduces yields before killing trees, usually within a few years. Once infected, trees must be ripped out and the soil treated before cocoa can be replanted.

According to the ICCO, Ghana’s Western North region covers an area of 410,229 hectares and has 330,456 hectares infected. The intergovernmental body was citing data from the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Cocoa, Ghana’s cocoa industry regulator.

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, which together with Cote D’Ivoire produce 60% of global output, 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%.