Cocoa Crisis: Disease Ravages Ghana’s Western North Region, Slashes Harvest.
A devastating cocoa disease, the swollen shoot virus, has severely impacted Ghana’s Western North, with 81% of the region’s cocoa trees infected. Ghana, the world's second-largest cocoa producer, reported a poor harvest of just 429,323 tons, worsened by climate change-induced heatwaves. The virus kills cocoa trees within a few years, forcing farmers to replant after soil treatment. Combined with the black pod disease, this has caused global cocoa shortages, leading to a spike in chocolate prices, particularly in the US and UK.