40% of Ghana’s cocoa trees unproductive

THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Dr Stephen Opuni, has hinted that the latest information from the cocoa health extension unit of the board has revealed that 40 per cent of all cocoa trees in the country were unproductive.

He explained that out of the 40 per cent, 23 per cent were cocoa trees which were between 30 and 70 years rendering them too old and unproductive while 17 per cent of the cocoa trees were infested with cocoa swollen shoot disease which also makes the trees unproductive.

Dr Opuni dropped the hint in an address read for him by Dr Francis Kofi Oppong, a Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control at Cocobod during the closing ceremony of a four-day annual Olam Ghana Ltd conference of managers at Bunsu in the Eastern Region.

The conference brought together 250 workers, including senior managers, accountants, district managers, port managers and warehouse keepers from 58 cocoa districts acros