GHANA’S COCOA CRISIS DEEPENS — HARVEST SET TO PLUNGE Ghana’s cocoa production is expected to fall by at least 16% next season, as erratic weather, disease and the cocoa tree’s natural low-yield cycle weigh on farms. Heavy rains and the threat of El Niño have compounded problems from swollen shoot disease, particularly in the Western and Western North regions, which together account for more than half of Ghana’s cocoa output. The expected decline threatens to further tighten global cocoa supplies and add pressure to an already vulnerable market. Ghana is also battling ageing farms and illegal gold mining that is taking over cocoa-growing land, while authorities are expanding disease control, farm rehabilitation and fertilizer support to limit the damage.