In response to the spread of swollen shoot disease (CSSVD), over half a million hectares of trees could be cleared in Ghana; another 100,000 hectares would be cleared in Ivory Coast, at least initially. The African Development bank (AfDB) is reportedly still willing to provide some funding assistance, with US$600 million discussed for clearing and replanting.
Ghana’s Cocobod reports that some 40 percent of its cocoa trees are “unproductive”: 17 percent due to disease, and 23 percent due to advanced age. In some growing regions, two-thirds of trees are reported as infected with swollen shoot. Old trees yield closer to a third of the yields of younger trees.
Traditional cocoa tree varieties could take seven years to achieve commercial production, but improved varieties can do so in as little as three years. Replacing older trees is overdue and will lead to improved yields.
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