The Public Affairs Manager of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, has attributed the decrease in cocoa production to adverse weather conditions.

Boafo highlights the substantial impact of weather patterns on cocoa cultivation, particularly emphasizing heavy rainfall at the commencement of the cocoa season as a significant concern.

While recognizing the necessity of rainfall for cocoa production, he underscores that excessive precipitation this season impeded the fruiting process, leading to a diminished harvest.

Additionally, Mr Boafo points out the adverse effects of severe harmattan conditions on cocoa pods, exacerbating the situation further.

Mr Boafo made these observations during a discussion on Ghana's struggling cocoa industry on JoyNews' PM Express on Wednesday, March 27.

He indicated, “The major contributory factor for low cocoa production is the weather situation we’ve experienced this cocoa season. It started with a heavy rainfall. Then it got to a time where you expected the pods you had to develop for you to harvest then we experienced severe harmattan.

“So this El Niño challenge is largely a contributory factor to the low production we experienced this year,” he told host Evans Mensah.

Furthermore, Boafo draws attention to the prevalence of swollen shoot disease, which has affected approximately 590,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana.

He explains that these affected farms are currently under rehabilitation and not yielding cocoa beans.

He noted, “At the moment, about 590,000 hectares of cocoa farms in Ghana have been affected by swollen shoot and so it is affecting production. Indeed, we are rehabilitating some of these affected farms. And since the only known solution is cutting the affected trees, all the affected farms are not fruiting at the moment“.

Ghana, renowned as one of the world's leading cocoa producers, has been contending with dwindling cocoa production in recent years.

Challenges stemming from unpredictable weather patterns, illegal mining, and smuggling, among other factors, exacerbate the existing pressures on the industry, impacting both local and global markets.

Currently, there is a global shortage of cocoa beans, leading to a significant surge in cocoa prices, with one tonne fetching an unprecedented $10,000.

However, despite the price hike, Ghana may not reap substantial benefits due to the notable decline in cocoa production this year, as indicated by research.