CRIG's 75 years of quality research increases cash crops yield
Nearly a century after Tetteh Quarshie had introduced cocoa into the country; the cultivation of the crop became the major economic activity of the people of the forest areas, especially the Eastern Region.
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Subsequent years witnessed its cultivation in other parts of the forest zone, comprising the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and parts of the Volta and Central regions.
As a result, production of the crop increased significantly and eventually cocoa became the major foreign exchange earner for the country.
However, the industry was then faced with one major challenge, the control of pests and diseases which were having a negative effect on production.
Colonial recommendation
The then British colonial government, based on the recommendations of the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Frank Stockdale, who visited the country and acquainted himself with the situation, decided to establish a research institution to deal with the issue.
The institution, which first started as the Tafo Cocoa Station in June 1938, was changed to the West African Cocoa Research Institute (WACRI) in 1944, with the headquarters at Akyem Tafo.
Its mandate was to research into the production of cocoa, not only in the Gold Coast but also other West African countries which were under British rule and had a favourable climate for the cultivation of the crop.
WACRI turns into CRIG
The attainment of nationhood by the colonies led to each cocoa producing country establishing its own research institution and Ghana, which had the privilege of having WACRI on its soil took advantage of the situation to maintain it after renaming it the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).
The institute has, since 1957, carried out a number of research activities that have boosted the production not only of cocoa but also crops such as kola, coffee, sheanut and cashew.
The production of these crops, especially cocoa, has, over the years, contributed significantly to poverty reduction in the communities and also generated huge foreign exchange earnings that have accelerated and continue to accelerate national development.
The CRIG, which is not relenting in its core mandate, is currently being administered by an Executive Director, Dr Frank Amoah, and three Deputy Executive directors — Dr Kwabena Opoku Ameyaw (Cocoa), Dr George Opoku (Coffee) and Mrs Pauline Adobea Dadzawa (Administration).
To improve cocoa yields, the Amelonado, the original cocoa brought into the country, which has a gestation period between seven and eight years, was replaced with the Amazon, which begins bearing fruit at about four years, in 1944.
Although that boosted cocoa production, scientists at CRIG undertook further scientific research for a new breed that would come into bearing early and further improve yield, with subsequent increase in production.
Hybrid cocoa
The research yielded good results and in the early 1970s the hybrid cocoa which starts bearing pods between two-and-half years and three years was developed.
A hectare of a well-maintained hybrid cocoa farm can produce 3,000 kilograms of beans per hectare twice that of the Amazon’s 1,500 kg/ha.
According to the Executive Director, packages developed by CRIG and approved by COCOBOD such as the CODAPEC(mass spraying) and cocoa hi-tech which includes fertiliser application led to a significant rise in cocoa production from about 400,000 metric tons to over 700,000 metric tons between 2003 and 2004.
Coffee, others get boost
Apart from cocoa, CRIG has also over the years successfully carried out scientific researches into the cultivation of coffee, kola, cashew and shea nuts resulting in farmers in areas suitable for the production of such crops cultivating the crops although not on a large scale like that of cocoa.
And to boost the production of such crops, CRIG recently intensified its research into their cultivation, especially coffee, by launching a nationwide rehabilitation programme for the crop in 2010. The initiative which is being funded with a GH¢4 million government budgetary support for a four year period had already resulted in over 200 per cent increase in the export of clean robusta coffee in 2012.
However, the astronomical rise in production in 2012 faced a major challenge; the inability of coffee farmers to have a guaranteed price like that of cocoa.To deal with the problem, COCOBOD agreed on a minimum farm gate price for the produce and CRIG has started purchasing the produce to the delight of the farmers who are now eager to grow more of the crop.
With regard to the shea tree, its gestation period has been reduced from 12 to between two and four years through a canopy substitution technology thus becoming a plantation crop with the ultimate result of increase in production instead of being in the wild and producing fewer nuts.
Kola & cashew
Similar treatment of kola and cashew by CRIG scientists has boosted production of such commodities, especially cashew, which has now become the leading non-traditional export crop in the country.
CRIG, however, is not only researching into the cultivation or production of raw cocoa and the other crops but has in recent times carried out researches to add value to the raw commodities.
By-products
The researches that have led to the use of the by-products of cocoa have been successful. A number of consumables have been obtained from the by-products, especially that of cocoa husk and juice. They include beverages and alcoholic drinks, soap (Alata samina, cocoa butter cake soap, liquid soap), pomade, cocoa biscuit, among others. Fertiliser has also been developed from potash obtained from the burnt dry cocoa husk as well as animal feed from the fresh husk.
Production of these goods, however, has not been on commercial basis as that was not in line with the institute’s mandate. Such a decision, therefore, needs to be re-examined to enable the Institute either single-handedly manufacture them en-masse with the assistance of the government or COCOBOD be allowed to go into partnership with investors either local or foreign since such a venture demands a huge capital outlay.
Challenges
Despite its achievements, CRIG is faced with the challenge of limited financial resources and logistics.
The Institute is fully subvented by the Ghana Cocoa Board and needs extra funding to be able to break new grounds for the betterment of farmers and the country as a whole.
CRIG has indeed lived up to the purpose of its establishment and as it hits its 75th milestone this month, it is not surprising that management has decided to showcase its achievements in various ways.
By A. Kofoya-Tetteh/Ghana
