Coconut Sector Development Project. Report on seednuts production component to the operator of the project (GREL) (17-23/01/2000)

A mission was conducted in January 2000 to study the seednuts production and breeding aspects of the Coconut Sector Development Project in Ghana. This new project is conducted under the supervision of the Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). Ghanaian coconut plantations cover approximately 40 000 hectares distributed within the Central Region (10%) and the Western Region (90%). The lethal yellowing disease of cape St Paul has so far destroyed at least 4000 hectares. The Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), a Ghanaian private operator, was chosen to lead the project. The applied research programme is carried out by OPRI (Oil Palm Research Institute of Ghana) and the Coconut Research Program of CIRAD-CP, France. The three main components of the project are the following: -The intensification of 2000 hectares existing of coconut plantations. 40 to 50 more fruits per palm per year are expected to be harvested. - The improvement of the small-scale processing of coconut oil. - The replanting of 1200 hectares with coconut cultivars tolerant to the disease. (Résumé d'auteur