KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Cocoa growing in Ghana.
Cocoa is one of the major crops in the Equatorial regions. It came from Brazil and was first grown in Africa on Sao Tome island. In 1874 it came to Nigeria. It was first grown in Ghana in 1879.
Most of Africa’s cocoa comes from prominent West African countries in the Equatorial region are also producing. The world’s largest producers if cocoa are Brazil the Ivory coast and Ghana.
Cocoa is Ghana’s greatest money-earner. It occupies an area of nearly 1.2 million hectares in 1891 to over 420,000 tonnes in 1967. But this volume of production fell to 310,000 tonnes by 1977 due to a number of factors such as poor farm management; low fixed prices, disease and pests and lastly most of the trees had become too old to be productive.
Initially, cocoa cultivation was largely concentrated in coastal areas. Today the crop has spread much further inland. The greatest concentration is the cocoa triangle formed by the towns of Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
Most of the farmers who cultivate cocoa on their small holdings also grow food crops such as banana and plantains on the same plantations. These plants also provide the necessary shades for the cocoa crops.
Most of Africa’s cocoa comes from prominent West African countries in the Equatorial region are also producing. The world’s largest producers if cocoa are Brazil the Ivory coast and Ghana.
Cocoa is Ghana’s greatest money-earner. It occupies an area of nearly 1.2 million hectares in 1891 to over 420,000 tonnes in 1967. But this volume of production fell to 310,000 tonnes by 1977 due to a number of factors such as poor farm management; low fixed prices, disease and pests and lastly most of the trees had become too old to be productive.
Initially, cocoa cultivation was largely concentrated in coastal areas. Today the crop has spread much further inland. The greatest concentration is the cocoa triangle formed by the towns of Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
Most of the farmers who cultivate cocoa on their small holdings also grow food crops such as banana and plantains on the same plantations. These plants also provide the necessary shades for the cocoa crops.