How long does cocoa take to grow in Ghana?
Cocoa has a long production cycle, far longer than many other tropical crops, and new hybrid varieties need over five years to come into production, and a further 10 to 15 years for the tree to reach its full bearing potential.
Is cocoa a seasonal crop?
Cocoa is a perennial crop, and it can withstand different seasonal variations with good health and yield potential.
What is the farming season in Ghana?
The time of the two peaks represents the major and the minor rainy seasons, June and October, respectively. Rainfall totals in the major season exceeds that of the minor season. Corn can be planted in April and be harvested in August, and then another corn planted in September and then harvested in December.
What is the average yield of cocoa per hectare?
Unfortunately, its productivity level in the same period results only around 655 kg per hectare. In comparison, the productivity of cocoa in Malaysia reaches about 1800 kg per hectare, around 800 kg per hectare in Ivory coast, while in Ghana it reaches about 360 kg per hectare [1].
How long do cacao trees live?
100 years
A young cacao tree grows rapidly, but it won’t begin to produce beans until it’s about five years old. A cacao tree can live up to 100 years, but most trees only provide marketable cacao beans for about 25 years.
How long does it take for a cocoa tree to bear fruit?
about 5 years
It takes about 5 years (from seed) for a cacao tree to grow mature and start producing cacao pods. The beans grow in football-shaped pods on the trunk of the tree and from larger branches. The average cacao tree produces 30-40 cacao pods a year.
What is cocoa season?
Ghana is the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer, after its West African neighbour, Cote d’Ivoire. Its main growing season runs from October to September, and while output may increase – a glut in the global market has raised wider concerns about lower prices and farmer poverty.
How long does cocoa tree take to grow?
What affects cocoa farmers in Ghana?
The regression analysis showed that land size, member of farmer association, experience in cocoa farming, awareness of organic cocoa and access to extension service are the main factors that influence cocoa farmers’ decision to adopt organic cocoa practices.
How many harvest seasons are there in Ghana?
In irrigated areas a second rice-cropping season may take place. The following figure shows the harvested areas from different ecologies during the last five years….Ghana.
| Production zone | Harvested area (% total harvested area) |
|---|---|
| Upper-east | 27.29 |
| Northern | 26.40 |
| Western | 12.81 |
| Eastern | 10.68 |
How many times can cocoa be harvested in a year?
After cocoa seeds are planted, it usually takes between three and five years to yield the first crop. Cocoa Hybrid varieties however can yield crops within two and three years. Most countries have two periods of peak production per year: A main harvest, and a smaller harvest.
What is Cocoa Life Ghana?
Cocoa Life has been active in Ghana since 2008, when it began as the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. At the end of 2020, there were 69,114 farmers participating in Cocoa Life, across 663 communities. “WITH COMMUNITY ACTION PLANS, WE HAVE THE POWER TO SPEAK UP AND ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES.”
How much cocoa beans does Ghana produce?
In 2019/2020, Ghana is estimated to have produced about 800 thousand tons of cocoa beans, a decrease from approximately 812 thousand tons in 2018/2019. Although cocoa beans originate from South America, the majority of cocoa bean production is attributed to Africa. In 2017/2018, Africa’s cocoa bean production amounted to around 3.5 million tons.
What is the history of Cocoa Life?
Cocoa Life has been active in Ghana since 2008, when it began as the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. At the end of 2020, there were 69,114 farmers participating in Cocoa Life, across 663 communities.
How many farmers participate in Cocoa Life?
At the end of 2020, there were 69,114 farmers participating in Cocoa Life, across 663 communities. “WITH COMMUNITY ACTION PLANS, WE HAVE THE POWER TO SPEAK UP AND ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES.”