Industry,

Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Audley Shaw says he expects an

increase in the yield of cocoa for the fall crop in areas where the Frosty Pod

Rot disease management programme has been implemented.

Speaking at a

recent media briefing on the management of the disease, Shaw said that this is

a positive development for the country’s cocoa industry, which has been

impacted by the problem since 2016.

“We are

already witnessing an improved performance in the sector. For the first week of

cocoa collection for the new crop year, which began on October 1, one

fermentary has seen 400 boxes of wet cocoa beans being delivered by farmers,”

he said.

Shaw, who has

ordered a full resumption of activities under the Frosty Pod Rot Management

Project, said that it was shut down to facilitate a review following concerns

raised by farmers and other stakeholders.

Under the Frosty Pod Rot Management Programme, approximately 225 hectares of cocoa have been pruned, benefiting 187 farmers, primarily in St Mary.

“The total

acreage projected for treatment in eastern Jamaica has not yet been completed.

However, baseline data collection has been initiated in Clarendon. We are

projecting an increase in production for the 2019/2020 production cycle. We are

well on our way to treating with this disease,” he said.

Frosty pod

rot is a disease that affects cocoa and is caused by a fungus. It can cause

serious damage to the cocoa industry, reducing crop yield by up to 80 per cent

per year.