Frosty Pod Rot project realises 87% increase in cocoa production yield - Ministry

There has been an 87 per cent increase in cocoa production yield in areas where the Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) Management Project was initiated.

Chief Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspector in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Sanniel Wilson confirmed that the project, which was undertaken in 11 communities in St Mary, assisted with the increase.

“When we looked at the output using data from the Richmond Cocoa Fermentary, we recognised that for every single community in which we had the intervention we had an increase,” she said.

“For the entire period of 2017- September 2018 before we started our project implementation, we collected 531 boxes of cocoa in the 11 communities. For the period 2018-2019, we are now seeing an increase of 492 boxes, which is reflecting an 87 per cent increase over the previous year. Since 2016, the country was producing an average of 100 metric tonnes of cocoa annually. Now we’re seeing an increase to 145metric tonnes. This is reflecting a 45% per cent increase,” Wilson explained.

The FPR Management Project is, among other things, designed to curtail the spread of the Frosty Pod Rot disease.

Wilson noted that the components of the project, which include cultural management and chemical management is “reaping success” evidenced by the increase in cocoa production yield.

“What we want now is for farmers to continue maintaining their fields, looking out for the FPR disease and getting rid of those infected pods early by treating with agricultural lime,” she said.

“We are now seeing positive signs that we can break the back of this disease so let us stay the course,” Wilson added.

Frosty Pod Rot is a fungal disease caused by the Moniliophthora roreri, which produces millions of spores that are easily spread by wind, water, and mostly human activities.

It can remain active on clothing and other material and equipment for up to nine months.

Signs and symptoms only appear on the pods and results in underweight pods, premature ripening, dark-brown or spots with uneven borders and white fungal growth on the outside of the pods.

It can cause serious damage to the cocoa industry reducing crop yield up to 80 per cent per year.

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