Farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire report damage to cocoa trees from black pod disease, as another wave of El Niño and other crop weaknesses threaten the next harvest. Accounts from southwest Ghana describe trees scarred by the disease, underscoring ongoing challenges for growers this year.
Both outlets link the production risk to climate and plant health factors that can reduce yields. They also note broader supply concerns because Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire together represent more than half of global cocoa supply. Bloomberg frames the story around the on-the-ground impact on farms, while AllAfrica emphasizes market implications, including rising cocoa prices as traders assess risks to future production and weak pod development.
AllAfrica specifically reports that New York cocoa rises to an 11-month high, reflecting investor attention to the potential impact on the 2026/27 crop. Across sources, the common thread is uncertainty around the timing and severity of El Niño-linked conditions alongside disease pressure, with consequences for both farmers and cocoa markets.
