The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo has given the firm assurance that his outfit will increase investment in irrigation facilities for cocoa farms nationwide to address the impact of climate change on cocoa farms.
The International Cocoa Organizations’ monthly report for April 2022, has forecasted cocoa production for the 2021/22 season to fall by one-third due to less conducive weather conditions and the outbreak of swollen shoot disease.
According to him, the move will ensure all-year-round production and harvest of the cash crop.
He said, the unavailability of the rains have prevented the cocoa trees from flowering hence the need to introduce irrigation to enhance the cocoa trees to produce fruits.
“From November, December up to the second March of this year, there were no rains. When we don’t have rains at all, definately there will be no flower and there will be no fruit. We actually know that the crop outlook is not as good as the previous year,” He said.
He added that, to sustain production, his outfit has seeks to introduce irrigation as the only solution to boost the cocoa production.
Mr Boahene Aidoo further noted that “agriculture cannot continue to rely on traditionally rain fed irrigation system not only for cocoa but for all forms of agriculture.”
– Ghana Cocoa
