High temperatures, erratic rains, affect cocoa farming
“Whenever there is a long dry spell, cocoa plants dry before they mature, yet farmers in our region have not embraced irrigation,” Kugonza adds.
A cocoa farmer, Joseph Ssekajja Sseruwagi, spraying his trees. Cocoa trees are prone to fungal diseases whenever it gets too hot. (New Vision Archive)
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________________ Hope Mwesigye, the former agriculture minister, checking on cocoa beans being dried at Esco Uganda Limited factory’s dry belts in Bundibugyo. Most cocoa-growing farmers have limited resources to acquire solar dryers Farmers removing cocoa beans from fresh ripe pods. Pods rot during the rainy season
Cocoa growing is being threatened by harsh weather conditions in Uganda, according to experts.
This was especially witnessed in the last seasonal rains that flooded the main cocoa-producing districts in the Rwenzori region, especially Bundibugyo district.
Other cocoa-producing districts include Mukono, Buikwe, Mityana, Mayuge, Hoima, Kibale, and Mpigi.
Although the rains seem to be reducing, higher temperatures in June, July, and August, as predicted by the Uganda National Meteorology Authority (UNMA), are a danger to cocoa, which has been identified in the National Development Plan 3 as the next foreign exchange earner for the country.
In addition to challenges with weather, the crop lacks special attention through extension services when it comes to good farming practices, agro-inputs use and quality, storage, value addition, as well as marketing structures, despite its demand on the world market.
Gerald Kugonza, the general manager of Bwamba Co-operative Union (cocoa co-operative) in Bundibugyo district, says: “Whenever it rains heavily, all cocoa gardens are flooded with water from the hills. That affects our production.”
But when the weather is good, Kugonza says the cooperative produces about 720 metric tonnes of cocoa per year from 18,000 members. Yet, when the floods cease and there is too much sunshine, it also affects cocoa production.
“Whenever there is a long dry spell, cocoa plants dry before they mature, yet farmers in our region have not embraced irrigation,” Kugonza adds.
Because of the heat, fungal diseases also attack the crop, which is seen when stems of the plant develop some kind of ringworms, yet cocoa flowers from the stem, he says.
To emphasise further how heat affects cocoa production, Job Alunga Chemutai, a cocoa research scientist at National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI), says too much rain affects the plant, as well as too much heat.
“Higher temperatures come along with pests and diseases. These are mostly fungal diseases that cause yield loss of up to 30%.
Higher temperatures also affect bean size because the crop is deprived of moisture, yet bean size is key to gaining from cocoa,” Alunga explains.
During the rainy season, apart from floods washing away the crop, they also get diseases from the bacterial wilt, and their pods rot, he added.
Areas where cocoa is produced tend to flood, with some places getting water-logged, which results in shrinking cocoa production space.
Another way through which rains affect coca production is through the post-harvest handling process, Alunga adds.
“Continuous rain makes it hard to dry cocoa. Most cocoa-growing farmers have limited resources to acquire solar dryers. Just like with coffee, it becomes hard to dry the cocoa, creating room for the development of aflatoxin.”
Despite the many challenges affecting cocoa production in the country, reports from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in partnership with the agriculture ministry, indicate an increase in cocoa sales the previous year.
According to FAO’s baseline survey of 2022, Africa contributes over 70% of the total cocoa produced.
In the year 2022-2023, Africa supplied 3,669,000 MT (73.4% of global supply); of which cocoa production is dominated by small-scale farmers.
Although production in Uganda declined in the season 2022–2023, Uganda remains the 5th in Africa and 12th in the world to produce cocoa.
In the 2023–2024 season, global supply also declined by 11% — from 4,996 metric tonnes last year to 4,449 metric tonnes this year, creating a deficit of -547,000 metric tonnes, says Pamela Anyoti, a cocoa consultant from FAO.
She explains further that although there were some declines in production in Uganda and globally, there is growing demand for cocoa and its products.
According to Anyoti, the rising demand is driven by the increasing health and wellness awareness about the benefits of cocoa, more socially conscious consumers, and the popularity of chocolate confections.
Some of the products produced from cocoa include liquor, butter, and powder, which are then processed to make consumer products, such as chocolate, ice[1]cream, and cosmetics, she adds.
To further understand the demand, the demand for cocoa liquor stands at $5.8b, cocoa butter at $4.1b, cocoa powder at $2.6b, and then chocolate at $46.7 b, globally.
Anyoti also attributed the decline in production for both Uganda and the global suppliers to the effects of climate change in major producing countries in West Africa.
For example, last year’s seasonal heavy rains were followed by heat, leading to pest and disease attacks.
This prevented flowering because the pollinators (midges) were killed by heat, she explains. The other challenge was the aging trees that produced low yields and thus low prices, among others.
How can Uganda’s cocoa be promoted amid the changing climate?
The FAO and agriculture ministry have embarked on a process of creating a cocoa strategy, taking into account the changing climate.
At a recent inception meeting on Strengthening Uganda’s Capacity for Climate Resilient Cocoa Value Chain Development at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, stakeholders called for a new strategy for cocoa.
“We need to develop a strategy to mitigate and adapt to climate change. If we do that, we shall not lose out in the global market,” Anyoti says.
She adds that there are funds under the Water and Environment Ministry to support initiatives in line with climate change adaptation.
Officiating at the launch, FAO’s country representative, Antonio Querido, said their role towards cocoa is to support the government's shift towards a sustainable annual cocoa production to over 100,000 metric tonnes, involving 500,000 farmers by 2030, through climate resilient practices.
Querido explained further that this is being done through designing a climate-resilient cocoa value chain strategy.
He added that the strategy will help stakeholders understand the current cocoa farming practices, value chain challenges, adaptation methods in diverse agroecological zones, and market demands, among others.
The strategy is part of the project titled, Strengthen Uganda’s Capacity for Climate Resilient Cocoa Value Chain Development through a Technical Co-operation Programme (TCP) in the agriculture ministry, with support from the FAO.
The strategic framework will include the methods, tools, and processes used to create and implement the strategy and set the direction for interventions and for the development of action plans needed to develop the sector, Querido added.
What should be included in the strategy?
According to Gerald Kugonza, the general manager of Bwamba Co-operative Union, the new strategy should include training sessions for farmers on best climate-smart agricultural practices, as well as agronomy of cocoa production, including nursery or cocoa seed management.
“If possible, they should have a green financing solution where someone who exercises good farming practices is rewarded; promote other sources of renewable energy to reduce the cutting down of trees that support cocoa production, as well as help farmers acquire post-harvest equipment, such as solar dryers,” Kugonza says.
Dr Geoffrey Arinatwe, the director of research at the National Coffee Resources Research Institute (NaCORI), called for collaborations among organisations and agencies working on the development of cocoa to avoid duplication of work.
Dr Emmanuel Zziwa, FAO’s climate change focal person, advised stakeholders to ensure that cocoa from Uganda is recognised by international organisations like it is done for coffee.