Jamaica’s cocoa output halves as ageing trees drag production to new lows

Jamaica’s cocoa production has fallen to roughly half its recent output, constrained by an ageing tree stock and a greying farmer base. It has prompted calls to fast-track an ongoing national replanting programme. Nine out of every 10 cocoa trees on the island are more than 40 years old. That’s four times past their prime producing age, according to Clayton Williams, president of the Jamaica Cocoa Farmers’ Association (JCFA). A succession of droughts and hurricanes has compounded the damage, battering trees that were already less resilient due to age.