Strategies for the control of pests and diseases for sustainable cocoa production in Nigeria
Pests and diseases have largely contributed to the declining productivity of cocoa in Nigeria. About 25 – 30% loss in yield of cocoa has been attribute to the cocoa mired, Sahlbergella singularis. 17% is lost through the feeding of the cocoa pod borer Characoma strictigrapta while losses attributable to the major disease of cocoa (the black pod disease caused by Phytophtora megakarya) range from 30 – 90% in Nigeria. The estimated farm holdings of peasant farmers account for 90% of the 700,000 hectares of land under cocoa cultivation.