THE Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) — agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining — are actively working to preserve the country’s global standing as a premier producer of high-quality cocoa.

This is in response to the ongoing threat posed by frosty pod disease, which was first discovered on the island in 2016 on a farm in Clarendon.

The disease causes cocoa pods to become misshapen and discoloured, develop lesions and white fungal spores, and die prematurely — resulting in significantly reduced yields.

Project manager for the Cocoa Frosty Pod Disease Management Programme Micoy Campbell outlines the management process implemented by RADA for affected farms.

“First, we’ll go in and we’ll do the weed management. We remove all the bush, all the weeds from under the tree to allow aeration. The second step is to do overshade management. We would normally remove all the branches, leaves and plants that are not of economic benefit to the farmers. Then we do pruning where the height of the tree which, sometimes, can grow up to 30 feet; we normally try to maintain it at 10 to 12 feet in height. We then use the saw to remove or cut any dead branches or branches that are intertwined,” she said.

“After that, we’ll do stripping [which] entails removing all the pods. We then put those in a bag and the workers will take them and ‘lime’ them out on the field. So we’ll have a row of cocoa on the ground that is cleared, then we have our next ‘liming’ taking place,” Campbell added.

Liming refers to the practice of applying lime — typically calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or dolomitic lime (which also contains magnesium) — to soil in order to neutralise acidity and improve growing conditions.

“The final step we do is contouring, and contouring is all those branches and limbs that are removed from the plants. We place them in the straight line coming from the contour; that will eliminate soil erosion, leaching, et cetera,” the project manager further stated.

Upon completion of these tasks, workers are advised to sanitise with 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol to prevent the transmission of the frosty pod rot disease to other cocoa farms.

Sourcing top-quality cocoa beans is essential, and begins with the careful selection of fully ripe, disease-free pods.

Once harvested, designated collectors transport the cocoa to depots, where adherence to quality standards is closely monitored.

Fermentary manager in the Agriculture Ministry’s Export Division Hope McFarlane emphasises the critical role of the fermentary trucking team in adhering to established protocols and ensuring the timely delivery of wet beans for proper fermentation.

“We collect the cocoa beans from the farmers with our trucks, and there are times when our farmers bring the supplies in. So we would have processed those beans by fermenting [them] in a controlled environment over a number of days,” she said.

Fermentation is a critical stage in cocoa processing. It reduces bitterness and unlocks the fruity flavour — both of which are essential for producing high-quality chocolate.

“After the fermentation process is complete, the beans are shared, dried, bagged, and weighed [before] being dispatched to our finishing works [facility] at the Export Division. There, they [are] fumigated, sorted or graded and [prepared for] dispatch to the relevant markets,” she added.

Field advisory officer at JACRA Lindo Campbell explained the entity’s role in ensuring quality cocoa production.

“We are involved in the certification licensing, and we work with the different stakeholders that have to do with cocoa production. We carry out quality checks at all the different levels [where cocoa is] handled. From the reaping aspect of it to when its brought to the depot and, thereafter, when it goes to the fermentary, we are heavily involved in that part of it. So we try to ensure that quality produce is done from that level upwards [and] we ensure quality and good standards are being maintained,” he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s targeted disease management programmes, research initiatives, and farmer support systems are designed to ensure that Jamaica’s cocoa industry continues to uphold national pride and produce beans consistent with its fine-flavour profile — contributing to long-term sustainability and strengthening the industry’s positive impact on the island’s economy.

— JIS News

Fermentary manager in the Export Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Hope McFarlane

Project manager for the Cocoa Frosty Pod Disease Management Programme Micoy Campbell

Field advisory officer at the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority Lindo Campbell