Cocoa agroforestry a bridge for sustainable organic cocoa production

In Ghana cocoa constitute about 85 percent of the foreign export earnings from agriculture and also the main source of the wealth to over 800,000 people of the forest regions. Cocoa naturally requires shade which offers farmers agronomic, economic, cultural and ecological benefits. The promotion and adoption of hybrid cocoa varieties is causing a drift from shaded cocoa to the no shade. The study evaluated the impact shade levels had on the yield of cocoa under the different cocoa agroforestry systems in Ghana. Research data were collected from 200 cocoa farmers in the Sefwi Wiawso district by means of multistage sampling technique through household structured interviews and focus group discussions. Both descriptive statistics and yield curve model were used to analyse the data. Results showed that average yield per hectare of the no shade, low shade, medium shade and heavy shade were 794kg/Ha, 696kg/Ha, 735kg/Ha and 546kg/Ha respectively. The yield curve under the no shade system shows a sharp rise in the yield and followed by a very sharp fall in the yield after age 16. The medium shade has a gradual yield till it peaks at age 19 followed by a gradual fall in yield to age 80. Outreach focusing on medium shade cocoa agroforestry system may be the most effective way of building organic bridges in cocoa production.