Papua New Guinea

Cocoa Farmer’s
Handbook
PNG Cocoa and Coconut Institute
Tavilo, East New Britain Province,
Papua New Guinea
2 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK
Forward
This handbook summarises for farmers the important cocoa growing
knowledge and methods developed at the PNG Cocoa and Coconut Institute
and needed to greatly increase production of high quality cocoa in Papua New
Guinea.

Signed Photo

CEO PNG Cocoa and Coconut Institute 2016

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 3

 Compiled and edited by Alfred Nongkas (PNG Cocoa and Coconut
Institute Ltd.), Philip Keane (School of Life Sciences, LaTrobe University,
Melbourne) and David Yinil (PNG Cocoa and Coconut Institute Ltd.).

Acknowledgements – PNG Cocoa and Coconut Institute staff and

recent associates who helped develop the ideas presented in this book
(in alphabetical order of second name)
James Butubu, Peter Bapiwai, George Curry, Yoel Efron, Peter Epaina,
Chris Fidelis, Kenny Francis, Paul Gende, David Guest, Fidelis Hela, Neil
Hollywood, Urban Kabala, Anton Kamuso, Philip Keane, Gina Koczberski,
John Konam, Noel Kuman, Kiteni Kurika, Louis Kurika, Samson Laup,
Gade Ling, Otto Liran, Joachim Lummani, James Maora, Jeffrie Marfu,
Graham McNally, John Moxon, Yak Namaliu, Theo Nevenimo, Alfred
Nongkas, Eric Omuru, Martin Powell, Jane Ravusiro, Josephine Saul-
Maora, Eremas Tade, Barnabas Toreu, Hosea Turbarat, Anton Varvaliu,
Ricky Wenani, David Yinil

J. Moxon, C. Prior and R. Roe took the photos of insects and cocoa
beans used in previous CCI extension bulletins and posters. All other
photos by Philip Keane unless otherwise acknowledged.

Col Benton and Jane Belfield produced extension posters from which
some photos were taken, and Trevor Clarke compiled the first extension
booklet, ‘Torubat Wokim Bisnis Long Kakao’ (1981) that became
‘Joseph Grows Cocoa’, later revised as ‘Joseph and Lucy Grow Cocoa’
by Martin Powell, that guided the compilation of this handbook. Trevor
Clarke also compiled the ‘Field Pocket Book on Hybrid Cocoa’ (1987)
that is a forerunner of this Handbook. Arnold Parapi, Cocoa Board of
PNG, is thanked for commenting on drafts of the Handbook.

Publisher

World Bank/Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project

(note to publisher – book designed to have even number pages on left

hand side so that most sections can be seen in full on an open book –
e.g. pp. 4/5, 6/7, 8/9, 10/11)

4 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Contents
1. Getting Help to Grow Cocoa ...................................................................... 7
2. Cocoa in Papua New Guinea......................................................................
3. Cocoa Can Give a Good Family Livelihood..............................................
4. Growing Cocoa as a Small Tree................................................................
5. Cocoa Planting Material .............................................................................
5a. Hybrid Seedlings............................................................................
5b. Hybrid Clones.................................................................................
5c. Budwood Garden and Nursery....................................................
5d. Budding to Make Clones..............................................................
5e. Top Grafting to Make Clones.......................................................
6. Assessing and Renewing an Old Cocoa Block.......................................
7. Establishing a New Cocoa Block...............................................................
8. Maintaining a Cocoa Block ........................................................................
8a. Pruning Cocoa..................................................................................
8b. Pruning Shade Trees.......................................................................
8c. Weed Control.....................................................................................
8d. Maintaining Soil Fertility.................................................................
9. Main Insect Pests of Cocoa.......................................................................
10. Main Diseases of Cocoa.............................................................................
11. Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM)...............................
12. Safe Use of Pesticides
13. Harvesting and Breaking Cocoa Pods......................................................
14. Fermenting Cocoa Beans...........................................................................
15. Drying Cocoa Beans....................................................................................
16. Bagging and Selling Dry Cocoa Beans ....................................................
17. Cocoa Bean Quality .....................................................................................
18. Diversification on a Cocoa Farm...............................................................
18a. Cocoa and Shade Trees...............................................................
18b. Cocoa, Other Crops and Food Crops.........................................
18c. Cocoa and Livestock.....................................................................
19. Greater Involvement of Women and Youth in Cocoa Farming............

Make a Chocolate Drink from Your Own Cocoa Beans

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 5

6 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK
 1: Getting Help to Grow Cocoa
If you need help contact the following organisations:

Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea

P.O. Box 532, Rabaul, ENBP; Phone: (675) 982 9083

Cocoa Growers Association

Kokopo; Phone: (675) 982 9123
Email: growers.association.inc@gmail.com

Papua New Guinea Cocoa Coconut Institute Limited (CCIL)

P.O. Box 1846, Rabaul, ENBP; North Coast Road, Tavilo
Phone: (675) 9839131/9839108,
Email: ccipng@datec.net.pg

CCI Extension Officers in provinces

Cocoa Board Extension Officers in provinces
Provincial Administrations – Division of Primary Industries
field officers

Kairak Vudal Resources Training Centre

University of Natural Resources and Environment
PMB Services Rabaul, ENBP; Phone: (675) 983
9737/9736/9735

NGIP-Agmark
P.O. Box 76, Kokopo, ENBP 611; Williams Road, Kokopo
Phone: (675) 982 9055
Email: gmcnally@agmark.com.pg

Outspan PNG Ltd.

P.O. Box 387, Rabaul, ENBP; Kokopo; Phone: (675) 982 3176

Farmset
P.O. Box 19, New Rabaul, ENBP; Kokopo;
Phone: (675) 982 8703
Email: rmngi@farmsetpng.com

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 7

 2: Cocoa in Papua New
Guinea
Cocoa originated in the Amazon River region of South America, grow-
ing under big trees and so is easiest to grow under the shade of other
trees and in deep fertile soil.

Cocoa was first brought to PNG from Samoa in about 1900.

• This was Trinitario cocoa that was the main type grown until the
1980s, and has given PNG a reputation for producing ‘fine flavour’
cocoa beans.
• In the 1960s another type (Amazonian) was introduced from Trini-
dad and used to produce hybrids with Trinitario.

Cocoa can be grown in most areas of the lowlands that have had rain-
forest or secondary forest or good gardens - it is often grown under co-
conuts or other garden trees; now CCIL has shown that it can be grown
in some highland valleys (Karamui) and replace kunai grasslands.

Fermented and dried cocoa beans are roasted and ground to make
chocolate - the demand for cocoa beans is growing as more people
around the world eat chocolate and so growing cocoa can be a good
business for farmers in PNG.

Cocoa needs constant

attention and the
whole family can be
involved in caring for it
Photo H. Turbarat

8 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Cocoa has some serious pests and diseases that can kill trees and de-
stroy pods - these can be controlled with good management, involving
regular light work, as shown here.

CCIL has produced new types of cocoa (below) that can give high
yields if managed well following the advice in this book – these have
come from crosses between Trinitario and Amazonian types.

This Hybrid Clone (CCI-B1) is one of the new cocoa varieties made available
by CCIL Photo Breeding Section CCIL

It has been pruned to maintain a small tree so that all pods are within
easy reach for spotting and removing all sick pods or for harvesting
healthy pods.

Smaller cocoa trees need less heavy work than large trees – in large
trees it is impossible to control pest and diseases and more work is
needed to harvest all healthy pods.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 9

 3: Cocoa Can Give a Good
Family Livelihood
If cocoa is grown well and managed as a business it can give a good
income so that farming families can live well.

A good house built by a cocoa growing family

Good cocoa growing needs as much knowledge, skill and regular work
as any town job or profession – good cocoa farmers should be proud
of their work and skill.
Growing cocoa as a business can give the same pay as a town job,
enables people stay in their home villages and do their customary and
family duties and have a good life. It also allows them to be their own
boss.
To give a good income, a cocoa farm must be worked as a family busi-
ness - this means farmers have to plan ahead.
• Work done today (like pruning cocoa and shade trees, and cutting
out and burying sick pods) will give more healthy trees and pods
and more money in the future.
It also means members of a family have to do some work on the co-
coa every day.

10 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Once a cocoa block has been established or rehabilitated, it need not
involve a lot of hard work, but more regular and more skillful work in-
volving the whole family.
Farmers also need to keep records of their costs for producing cocoa
and income from selling beans, so that they can work out their profit
(their pay) and work out ways of increasing this.

Profit from growing 1 hectare (1000 trees) cocoa (estimated) – as of

Dec 2015:

Yield of dry beans/ha Low Moderate High

(200kg) (1000 kg) (2000 kg)

Management input Low Moderate High

Cost of producing wet

beans

Cost of fermenting and

drying

Cost of producing dry

beans

Return @ K3 per kg wet

beans (K190 per bag)

Profit @ K3 per kg wet

beans ((K190 per bag)

Return @ K8 per kg dry

beans (K500 per bag)

Profit @ K8 per kg dry

beans (K500 per bag)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 11

 4: Growing Cocoa as a Small
Tree
The new way of growing cocoa is to keep the trees small
(less than twice a person’s height – 3.5 metres).

Cocoa tree kept small by planting a good small clone from CCIL and regular
pruning to shape the tree

Tall overgrown trees (above) are hard to manage and pods are hard to
find in order to find and remove sick pods and harvest healthy ones –
they need a lot of hard work.
In overgrown, over-shaded, neglected bush cocoa, pests and diseases
can destroy most of the pods.
Research at CCIL has shown how these problems can be managed so
that farmers can make a good living from cocoa despite the presence
of pests and diseases.
The new methods of growing smaller trees will make working on the
cocoa much easier.

12 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 Smaller trees need less
hard work once they are
established but they need
some light work nearly ev-
ery day, just like food crops
or a town job.
Secateurs are the most
useful tool for cutting off
sick, for harvesting ripe
pods and for cutting out
unwanted branches before
they get too big.
Older tree kept small by
regular pruning - sick pods
are easy to spot and re-
move, and harvesting ripe
pods does not need a lot
of hard work like climbing
trees or using a long hook.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 13

 5: Cocoa Planting Material
The first step in good cocoa farming is to plant good types of cocoa
that give a high yield of good quality beans (high fat content, large
beans), and are not damaged too much by pests and diseases.
Trinitario was the main type grown in PNG until the 1980s.
• This was planted as seed taken from pods on farms.
• Because the trees were often out-breeding, the progeny were very
variable.
• Scientists selected the best types for supplying to farmers as seed,
or clones made from cuttings.
Then it was discovered that if Trinitario cocoa was cross-bred with
Amazonian cocoa the offspring were fast growing and some were high
yielding.
• Pollen from one type was put on the female part of the flower of
the other type and the pod grew to produce ‘hybrid seed’.
• This seed was produced in Seed Gardens to give SG1 and SG2
hybrids that were distributed to farmers for planting as seedlings.
• These hybrids were widely grown but were not always popular with
farmers.
o They grew too fast and trees became very big.
o They produced some trees with high yield but many had very
low yield (they were very variable).
o Their yield declined sharply after about 5 years.
CCIL began a new breeding program in which they made clones by
budding from the best SG1 and SG2 hybrid seedlings – these clones
are better than SG hybrid seedlings because every tree gives a high
yield.
These are called ‘Hybrid Clones’ and are the type most strongly recom-
mended by CCIL for growing on farms today.
CCIL also produces a new type of ‘Hybrid Seed’ to grow good seedlings
– this is produced by hand pollination of selected parent clones (one

14 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Trinitario type and one Amazonian) and is better than the seed pro-
duced in ‘seed gardens’.
These two types of cocoa can be obtained from CCIL or a local nursery
licensed by CCIL.
It is good to keep some of your older Trinitario or SG1 or SG2 hybrid
trees if you know they produce a lot of healthy pods – you can take
budwood from these to make more trees like them to improve your
farm (see 5d and 5e below)
but do not plant seed from
these trees because they
will not usually be like the
parent trees.

A pod developing from

cocoa flowers after
pollination by a tiny insect
(a midge) – without
pollination by midges no
pods will grow

Cocoa flower showing the male parts (stamens that produce pollen) and
female part (pistil that grows to form the pod after pollination) – the pollen is
carried to the pistil (often on flowers on other trees) by tiny insects known as
midges
Drawing from van Hall CJJ, 1932, Cacao, Macmillan, London

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 15

5a: Hybrid Seedlings
The new type of Hybrid Seed produced by CCIL for supplying farmers
is a good type produced by hand pollinating to make crosses between
Trinitario and Amazonian types of cocoa.

These are useful for farmers in new areas where it is difficult to take
budwood and clones and people don’t yet have the skill to make clones
from budwood or manage clones.

Seedlings are also easier to establish than clones because they grow
with a single trunk up to about 1.2 metres high and then produce about
5 main branches that bear the pods – an ideal structure for a cocoa
tree. Seedlings grow into a well-shaped tree with only a small amount
of pruning.

Initial seedling stem growing as a Fan branches formed at the jorquette

chupon – leaves in a spiral around with leaves growing in a flat pattern
the stem from branches

16 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Seedlings produce a lot of pods on a tall trunk

Hybrid Seed from CCIL will include seed from several different crosses
to ensure that a mixture of cocoa types is planted on a farm – this is
needed to give good pod set and reduce the damage done by pests or
diseases.

Because seeds are produced by sexual reproduction from the flower,

they are genetically variable (i.e. they produce trees that may be differ-
ent from each other).

Mature cocoa seedling

showing tall trunk and
large tree – these trees
should be pruned to
give small trees

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 17

5b: New Hybrid Clones
CCIL has made two releases of Hybrid Clones – First Series (released
in 2003) and Second Series (released in 2013).

The Second Series has some resistance (tolerance) to Cocoa Pod Bor-
er which means the borer doesn’t invade them as much or do as much
damage as in a very susceptible clone.

However, the pods of these clones will still be destroyed by Cocoa Pod
Borer if they are not managed well.

Hybrid Clones Released by CCI in PNG

Released Series Size of hybrid cocoa clones
Big trees Small trees
1. 37-13/1 1. 17-3/1
First Series 2. 36-3/1 2. 74-14/1
2003
3. 16-2/3 3. 34-13/2
4. 73-2/2 4. 63-7/3
1. CCI-B1 1. CCI-S1
Second Series 2. CCI-B2 2. CCI-S2
2013
3. CCI-B3 3. CCI-S3
4. CCI B4 4. CCI-S4
5. CCI-B5 5. CCI-S5

The Hybrid Clones include types that grow into smaller trees or bigger
trees – these should not be mixed in block (a block should have all
small or all big clones).
The small clones need less pruning to produce a small tree.
The bigger clones should be grown if the soil is poor – if grown on
good soil they need more pruning to keep them small.
Small and big clones can give the same yield if managed well.
A farm should be planted with equal proportions of the 4 First Series
or 5 Second Series clones – the First and Second Series clones can be
mixed, as long as they are all Big or all Small clones.

18 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

New cocoa types from CCIL produce many pods with good beans - CCI-B2 on
left and CCI-S2 on right Photos Agronomy and Breeding Sections CCIL

Plant 2-4 rows of one clone and then plant 2-4 rows of another clone -
plant 5 or more different clones in a block.

Clones are better than the SG1 and SG2 hybrid seedlings because all
the trees of a particular clone (e.g. CC1-B1) are identical because they
have been grown from vegetative buds from the mother tree (see the
method of vegetative reproduction by budding and grafting below – 5d
and 5e).

Big clones are planted on the usual 4m x 4m square spacing;

Small clones are planted on 3m x 4m (between rows) or 3m x 3m
square spacing.

If trees are kept small (2x human height) by pruning, a 3m x 3m spac-

ing is recommended.

It is recommended that farmers try planting a block of the new Hybrid

Clones or Hybrid Seedlings and compare them with their current plant-
ings – to see for themselves how much better they are.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 19

5c: Budwood Garden and Nursery
Hybrid Seed supplied by CCIL has to be planted in polybags in a nurs-
ery and grown for about 4 months before being planted out in the field.

Hybrid Clones can be bought from CCIL as small plants or produced on

farms from budwood supplied by CCIL.

To make clones, mother trees (supplied by CCIL) are grown in a special

garden to produce the budwood for budding and grafting onto seed-
lings raised in the nursery.

Nursery with palm frond shade and plastic roof to reduce infection of young
plants by diseases that occur in moist conditions – water plants by hand in
the early morning so that the leaves dry out quickly by midday.

Seedlings for budding or grafting are grown from seed from any good
vigorous tree (e.g. SG2) – it is grown for 2 – 8 weeks before budding
depending on the type of budding.

Seeds should have the mucilage rubbed off with sawdust before being
planted on their side, about one knuckle deep, in black topsoil from the
bush (not too sandy, and not from cocoa groves with a lot of Black Pod
infection) in polybags.

20 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

A farmer alongside a mother tree in his budwood garden – this will grow the
budwood used for budding and grafting

A budwood garden has to be started 2-3 years before the clones are
required for planting in the field.

The minimum size budwood garden for planting out 1 ha in a year is

about 2 trees of each of 5 recommended clones (a 3-year-old mother
tree can give budwood to make 350 clones in a year).

Budwood gardens can be planted at closer spacing (2 metres between

trees, 3 metres between rows) than normal trees because they are
being harvested for budwood (branches) not pods.

The budwood trees are tip pruned so that they produce a lot of branch-
es for harvesting as budwood sticks.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 21

5d: Budding to Make Clones
Budwood sticks are cut from trees in the budwood garden on the
morning of the day they are to be used for budding.

Budwood stick cut from a mother tree in a budwood garden – note that the
leaf blades have been cut off

Cutting bark with a bud and base of a petiole (a bud patch) from a budwood
stick ready for budding; the most important tool is a very sharp budding knife

22 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Cutting a window in the bark of a juvenile seedling (left – 2-wk old) and 2-4
month old seedling (right); the seedlings are well watered so that bark peels
off easily; the seedling stems must be well cleaned with damp tissue paper or
a sponge before being cut open

Inserting bud patch into window cut in bark of juvenile seedling stem (left) and
mature seedling stem (right)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 23

 Budwood stick with
two buds in axils of 2
petioles cut to a sharp
wedge ready for insert-
ing in slit in seedling that
has had its top cut off

Tape is removed
after 12 – 17 days
and the bud begins
to grow

24 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Growth of bud on side of seedling (left) and seedling cut off to allow bud shoot
to grow into a new plant (right)
- the bud is growing as a fan shoot because it was taken from a fan branch
on the mother tree
- this is the most common type of clone because fan branches are more
common than chupons on mother trees

The clonal plants are ready for planting in the field after 2-3 months for
juvenile budding or 4 months for mature (or normal) budding.

To get a high success rate in budding and grafting:

• Clean dirt from the stems to be budded using tissue paper or a
damp sponge.
• Use a very sharp budding knife.
• Work quickly so that the bud patch and window don’t dry out.
• Remove the binding film as soon as the bud begins to grow or 14
days after budding when bud patch is still green in colour.

Clones require special pruning in order to make a good tree (see 7

later).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 25

5e: Top Grafting to Make Clones
Top grafting of seedlings is easier than bud grafting.

The top (about 20 cm) is cut off a 2 – 4 month old seedling and a slit is
cut into the cut end; a wedge-shaped budwood stick is cut and inserted
into the slit.

Budwood stick with two buds

in axils of 2 petioles cut to a
sharp wedge ready for insert-
ing in slit in seedling that has
had its top cut off

Budwood stick inserted right way

up in slit in top of seedling, mak-
ing sure the bark and underlying
cambium of the budstick and
seedling are flush together on at
least one side

26 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Budwood stick inserted in slit in top of seedling and bound tightly with
Parafilm or Gladwrap or rice bale plastic

Top graft covered with a

plastic bag to keep the buds
moist; bag is removed as
soon as the buds on graft
begin growing

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 27

Top graft with 2 shoots growing after Top graft junction
plastic bag removed

Grafted seedlings ready for

planting in the field – note the
bulge where the clone top (the
scion) is joined to the seedling
(the rootstock)

28 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Seedling or Shoot Blight caused by Phytophthora palmivora (the same
fungus that causes Black Pod) is the most serious disease of young
plants in nurseries.

Seedling Blight in young plants Photo Pathology Section CCI

Spray with Ridomil Plus 72 or Laxyl Copper

(10 g per litre water) – the same as for Black
Pod
Seed can be soaked in the above solution
before planting to control Blight

Seedling Blight will be less if polybags are

filled with clean bush soil from an area
that does not have cocoa with Black Pod.
VSD should not be a problem in nurseries
with a plastic roof.
About 2 weeks before being planted out,
young plants must be exposed to more
sun in the nursery in order to harden the
leaves (remove some of the palm fronds
covering the nursery).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 29

 6: Assessing and Renewing an
Old Cocoa Block
To rejuvenate an old block the trees have to be made smaller, and the
cocoa canopy and shade trees thinned out and cut back to let in more
light and air.
This will stimulate growth and flowering of the cocoa, and help reduce
pests and diseases.
If trees are not too big and have healthy trunks, they can be strongly cut
back to the main trunk and branches and allowed to regenerate a new,
lower canopy (3.5 m high).
If trees are big and unhealthy but have a healthy lower trunk (no Stem
Canker) they can be cut back to stump so that a chupon grows up for
budding or grafting.

Chupon growing at the

base of a cocoa tree that
has been cut back to one
main branch

The chupon can be bud or

top grafted with an im-
proved clone and the old
branch removed later

30 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Chupon growing on a cocoa tree cut back to a stump; this
chupon can be allowed to grow into a new tree or be bud- or top-grafted with
an improved clone

When trees are cut back, usually more than one chupon will grow –
keep the strongest one nearest the ground for bud or top grafting and
cut out the rest; cut off the stump of the mother tree close to the graft-
ed chupon to stop regrowth from the old tree.

Chupons stimulated to grow on stumps can be bud or top grafted us-

ing the same methods as for grafting seedlings (see 5d and 5e above)
– in this way new Hybrid Clones can be grafted onto older trees to
improve the farm.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 31

An old cocoa tree rejuvenated by chupon grafting – its top has been replaced
with a new improved clone – note the trunk of the old tree

During rejuvenation of an old cocoa block, Gliricidia shade trees should

be thinned out by killing some of them by ringbarking, or by partial de-
barking to kill the tops but allow new shoots to grow up.

32 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

A Gliricidia shade tree debarked or When new shoots grow up from the
ringbarked to kill the tree or stimulate pruned Gliricidia, choose one or two
growth of new smaller shoots below to grow to give light shade and cut
the cut that can be pruned to give out the rest
lighter shade – if trees are cut down,
the wood can be sold as firewood

Gaps in the regenerated cocoa block can be in-filled with Hybrid Seed-
lings or Hybrid Clones in the same way as for planting a new block.

Don’t plant young cocoa under old, sick trees unless the old trees have
been cut back and cleaned up to remove sources of VSD and Phytoph-
thora.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 33

 7: Establishing a New Cocoa
Block
If a cocoa block has become too old, overgrown and diseased it should
be cut down and replaced by new young cocoa plants.
This is a chance to plant new Hybrid Clones or Seedlings produced by
CCIL to give many more pods than the old trees.
Useful shade trees such as coconut and betel nut palms or nut (galip,
pau) and fruit trees can be retained as long as the shade is not too
dense.
Cut old trees as close to the ground as possible and poison the stump
with a Garlon/Diesel (1:80) mixture – wear gloves.
Laying out the block – this can be done using 3m and 4m long bamboo
sticks to get the right spacing between the shade trees and cocoa.
Big clones are planted at 4m x 4m spacing; small clones at 4m (be-
tween rows) x 3m (within row) spacing or 3m x 3m spacing.
Plant Gliricidia sticks (1 metre long, 5cm across with a sloping cut
at the base) one hand length deep and sight along these to lay out
straight rows of shade trees ready for planting cocoa.

Block marked out with Glir-

icidia sticks that will grow
into shade trees

Here cocoa has been plant-

ed early and needs tempo-
rary shade

34 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 If a block is prone to waterlogging,
drains should be dug, sloping to a
creek to take away excess water

Cocoa will not grow well on a very

wet site

Seedlings planted with well-established Gliricidia shade trees – Gliricidia

sticks take 6-9 months to grow big enough to give good shade for young
cocoa

Before being taken from the nursery for planting in the field, plants
must be ‘hardened off’ by being exposed to more sunlight; plants in
polybags should be watered in the morning before planting in the field.

To plant out, cut the bottom off the polybag, lower the bag into the
planting hole (40cm deep), surround with good soil and then slide the
bag up over the plant and tamp down the soil; budded clones should be
planted deep enough so that the soil covers most of the rootstock to
stop shoots growing from it.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 35
Cocoa being established under old coconut palms with some extra Gliricidia
shade

Weed control around young plants is important after field planting – hand
weeding is best when cocoa is young

36 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Formation Pruning to Grow a Small, Balanced Cocoa Tree
Begin pruning young clones 6 months after they are planted in the field
to give a good shape of tree and to begin keeping the trees small – this
will give the most productive tree structure.

The aim of formation pruning of clones is to end up with a balanced

tree with a trunk (up to 50cm high) with 5 main branches coming off
at equal distances around the trunk (i.e. like the shape of a seedling
tree) – the pods are formed on the main branches and are within easy
reach.
The tip of the first fan branch on a
clone has to be cut off to allow lower
shoots to grow in the opposite di-
rection to give a balanced tree Photo
Breeding Section CCIL

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 37

When other shoots have grown, often one fan branch will still become domi-
nant – cut this off to allow the other branches to grow to give a balanced tree

Pruning to shape the tree must be done repeatedly until the trees are
two years old, when the main lower pod-bearing branches will have
been formed.
Fertilising or Manuring to Establish Young Plants
Fertilising or manuring may be needed when young plants are being
established on old cocoa or food crop blocks where soil nutrients may
have been lost.
Fertiliser application will only be useful if the plants are well weeded -
otherwise weeds around young cocoa plants will take up the fertiliser
and grow faster.
Ring weed around young cocoa plants a month before applying fertilis-
er or compost or manure, and keep the weeds down after that.
Use of bag fertiliser (especially urea) on young plants must be carefully
controlled because it may cause the plants to grow too rapidly and give
long branches that have to be pruned off.

38 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Recommended fertiliser applications per cocoa tree in the first 12
months after field planting (only useful in blocks with good weed and
shade control)
Option Period after planting

0 months 3 months 6 months 9 months

1 NPKMg 50g NPKMg 50g NPKMg 50g NPKMg 50g
(12:12:17:2)

2 150g rock phosphate 15g urea or 15g urea 15g urea or

+ ammonium ammonium
15 g urea or 30g am- sulphate 30g sulphate 30g
monium sulphate

3 30g triple superphos- 15g urea or 30g triple su- 15g urea or
phate ammonium perphosphate ammonium
+ 15g urea or ammo- sulphate 30g + 15g urea or sulphate 30g
nium sulphate 30g ammonium
sulphate 30g

4 No application Diammonium Diammonium Diammonium

phosphate phosphate phosphate
30g 30g 30g

Shade Thinning
A higher density of shade is needed during establishment of a young
cocoa, but some shade trees can be killed by ring-barking or poisoning
to reduce shade as plantings mature.
Thinning is best done at the start of the wet season to reduce the initial
stress on the cocoa - there will be more cloud cover and soil water to
compensate for the increased exposure of the trees following shade
thinning.
• Thinning of shade trees (e.g. temporary shade) should be done
in stages, not all at once, allowing the cocoa to adjust to the new
conditions over time - if shade is removed too suddenly, cocoa may
suffer sun scorch or bark cracking.
• Thinning should be done in a regular pattern so that the whole co-
coa grove remains uniformly shaded and the trees can adapt slowly
to reduced shade.
• Removal of shade trees such as Gliricidia has to take into account
the occurrence of other valuable fruit, nut or palm trees that are de-
sired on the farm – these usually make heavy shade for cocoa.
• Thin and prune shade trees before pruning the cocoa – if cocoa
gets damaged by falling branches this can be corrected when the
cocoa is pruned.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 39
The block maps below show ways in which temporary Gliricidia shade
trees can be removed at 2 - 4 years after planting a new block to leave
the right amount of permanent coconut or Gliricidia shade

G12

G12 G14 G12 G14 G12 G14 G12 G13

G13 G12 G13 G12 G13 G12 G13 G12

G12 G13

Initial layout of a cocoa plantation and the gradual thinning of Gliricidia

(Gl2 killed after 2 years, Gl3 killed after 3 years, Gl4 killed after 4 years)
where coconuts will later provide permanent shade – cocoa (C) in a 4m
and coconuts (Palm) in a 12m square spacing

Initial layout of a cocoa plantation and the gradual thinning of Gliricidia

(Gl2 killed after 2 years, Gl3 killed after 3 years, Gl4 killed after 4 years)
where Gliricidia will later provide permanent shade – cocoa (C) in a 4m
and Gliricidia (Gl) in 12m square spacing

40 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Pest and Disease Control in Young Plants
(see 9 for descriptions of the pests and diseases)
Regularly inspect young plants for damage
The main pest of young plants during establishment is Grey Weevil that
eats the bark of young stems and petioles – it will be a problem if the
plants don’t have enough shade and are not well weeded; the weevil
larvae feed on the roots of weeds that should be pulled out by hand
or killed with herbicide (slashing leaves the living roots on which the
larvae feed).
Cocoa Root Chafers can kill young plants up to 2 years old – larvae (up
to 4cm long) chew on roots and are more common in cocoa planted on
or near old food gardens.
• They can be controlled by placing 2g Chlorpyrifos granules (Sus-
con Blue - 6mg/granule) in the soil around the roots when planting
out (one matchbox full = 20g)

Longicorn Tip Borer, Cof-

fee Stem Borer, Vascular
Streak Dieback (photo) and
Pink Disease can kill young
plants if they affect the main
stem

Control these problems by

pruning off shoots about
30cm below the last sign
of damage and allow new
shoots to replace the dam-
aged ones

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 41

 8: Maintaining a Cocoa Block
The diagram below shows all the interconnected activities that have to
be done regularly to get a high yield of cocoa – if one thing is not done
it affects many other things and reduces the number of healthy pods.

Monthly pruning Monthly Monthly pruning

of cocoa to maintain monitoring and of shade trees to
low and open canopy treatment for Stem ensure 80% of full
with five main pod- Canker, VSD & insect sunlight penetrates to
bearing branches damage cocoa

Improves Improves flowering,

ccess to pod set and lowers
diseased pods humidity

Weekly removal and

Weekly
counting of pods with
Cocoa Pod Borer or
High yield of healthy weeding to reduce
Black Pod; spraying if cocoa pods competition, humidity
& longicorns
needed

Breaks life
Improves flowering,
cycles
pod set and lowers
of CPB and
humidity
Phytophthora

Burial/ Maintaining soil

composting of fertility with mulches
disease pods, and organic manures
weeds, cocoa/shade buried in trenches;
prunings, pod husks plus fertiliser if
and animal manure needed

42 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

The aim is to apply the same level of regular (daily) management to
cocoa blocks as is applied to food gardens, involving mainly ‘light
work done regularly’
• Farmers know that it is not good to let weeds grow for weeks in
a food garden and then try to control them in one round of heavy
work.
• In the same way, it is bad to let weeds grow, or shade get over-
grown, or sick pods remain hanging on cocoa trees for weeks or
months and then try to correct the problem, which will then involve
heavy work and lost production.
Checklist of 10 integrated management activities essential for maxi-
mum production on a cocoa farm
1. Establish the best type of cocoa and shade trees.
2. Hand weed around cocoa, especially during establishment, and
don’t let mulch touch the trunk.
3. Regularly prune to control the structure and height of the cocoa
trees, beginning during their establishment, and regularly cut back
shade trees to let through 80% of full sunlight.
4. Prune out and bury any diseased branches (VSD, Pink Disease, Tip
Longicorn, Coffee Stem Borer, Pansepta) on cocoa during regular
establishment pruning.
5. Control the spacing of shade trees (Gliricidia), thinning after closure
of the cocoa canopy, and then controlling the amount of sunlight
penetrating through to the cocoa.
6. Regularly monitor and treat Phytophthora Stem Canker and asso-
ciated wood boring insects such as Trunk Longicorns and Panto-
rhytes.
7. Every week check and remove pods with Cocoa Pod Borer or Phy-
tophthora Pod Rot, monitor trends and spray as indicated by moni-
toring (may not be needed).
8. As soon as they are cut, bury (under 10cm soil) infested pods to kill
Cocoa Pod Borer and Phytophthora, or compost (under a plastic
cover sheet).
9. Regularly harvest healthy pods as soon as they are ripe.
10. Bury or compost healthy pod husks, placentas and cocoa and
shade tree prunings to contribute to manuring of soil.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 43

8a: Pruning Cocoa - to maintain a small bal-
anced tree
When pruning, have in mind the shape of an ideal tree (photo below &
p.11) - small with 5 main branches to carry pods.

To achieve this use secateurs to cut out any shoots that are beginning
to grow in the wrong places or beginning to dominate the growth of
other shoots and produce an unbalanced tree.

Cutting out
an unwanted
shoot growing
into the centre
of the tree

44 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Cutting out chupons growing on the main trunk – this will reduce humidity in
the canopy and allow more rapid growth of the main branches

Cut out unwanted shoots when they are small and soft; don’t wait until
they are big and require hard work to cut.
• In the new way of growing the new Hybrid Clones, the most useful
tool should be a secateur or bow-saw, not a bush knife.
Cut out any shoots tending to grow higher than 3.5 metres to keep
trees small and pods within easy reach. Especially cut out any lead
branches that are dominating other branches; these often don’t pro-
duce many pods.
Cut out any branches tending to droop down to within 1.2 metres of the
ground to keep the under-canopy space open.
Cut out any branches that tend to grow across and interlock with other
branches on the same tree.
Cut out any branches that are not producing pods and allow a more
productive branch to grow in its place – this work may require a bow-
saw because the branches will be quite big by the time they are seen to
be unproductive.
Cut out any branches with VSD, Pink Disease or insect damage.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 45

Make sure the jorquette and main pod bearing branches are not ex-
posed to strong sunlight that might scorch them.
Strong pruning of mature cocoa trees to keep them small
This is needed twice a year – branches growing more than 2x human
height are cut off, either right where they start on larger branches or
towards their tips.
If trees have been pruned lightly every few weeks, then the main prun-
ings will not be too severe.
Shade trees should be pruned before pruning cocoa – if falling shade
tree branches damage the cocoa, this can be corrected when the co-
coa is pruned to maintain a balanced tree.
Weeding should be done before any shade tree or cocoa pruning so
that they don’t grow too strongly after more light is let through by prun-
ing.
The timing of strong pruning is important or else it can interfere with
pod production. It is best done just after the main harvest peaks (usu-
ally July after the May-June peak and December after the October-No-
vember peak, but this will be different in different places).
If done mainly in December, during the wet season, there will be less
stress shock to the trees.
Strong pruning of shade trees is also best done at this time.
• Because it is the wet season, there will be less stress shock to the
cocoa.
• The opening up of the canopy will stimulate more leaf flushing and
flowering at the end of the wet season.
• Gliricidia should be cut back to one trunk that grows up above the
cocoa and gives high shade.
The cocoa should be fertilized after strong pruning to help it recover.
Follow the following order of activities:
1. Weeding around cocoa.
2. Strong pruning of shade trees to let through 80 % sunlight.
3. Strong pruning of cocoa to keep the trees small.
4. Fertilising cocoa trees with organic or bag fertiliser.

46 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

8b: Pruning Shade Trees
Cocoa is easiest to grow under the shade of another tree, but gives the
highest yield if the shade is not too dense.
If shade is too dense the cocoa doesn’t get enough sunlight to stimu-
late flowering and grow a lot of pods.
Heavy shade also keeps the cocoa wet after rain and dew, which
favours diseases, especially Phytophthora Pod Rot (Black Pod) and
Canker, and Vascular Streak Dieback.

Well pruned
Gliricidia
shade trees
letting through
about 80% sunlight
to the cocoa

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 47

Heavy shade also encourages some insect pests of cocoa – e.g. Trunk
Longicorns (Glenea sp.) and Cocoa Pod Borer.

Gliricidia grows by producing multiple stems, and the amount of shade

it provides can be controlled by cutting off old stems and allowing new
stems to replace them – i.e. by having a rotation of stems.
• The amount of shade can be reduced in the cloudy wet season
and allowed to grow back more densely in the sunny dry season.
• Larger stems can be killed by ringbarking or debarking – i.e.
cutting a ‘V’ shaped groove in the bark right around the trunk to a
depth of about 2cm that will break the flow of water to the leaves
(see 6 above).
• Allow two or three regrowth shoots to develop from below the
ringbarking, and later remove one or two to control the amount of
shade.
• Cocoa Pod Borer moths rest on the larger, more horizontal branch-
es and these should be removed.

Shade trees should be pruned to open up the canopy especially in Jan-

uary – February to stimulate flowering in April at the beginning of the
main flowering period – this will result in more pods being produced
during the main crop peak that begins in October.

The Gliricidia prunings are rich in nitrogen and can be:

• chopped into smaller pieces and left on the ground as mulch for
the cocoa,
• chopped into smaller pieces and incorporated along with chopped
up pod husks and diseased pods (and animal manure if available)
into compost trenches dug between cocoa rows, contributing to
soil fertility (see Box below on The trenching method of returning
organic waste to the soil), or
• used as a rich source of fodder for livestock such as cattle, goats,
pigs and chickens (Gliricidia was developed as a fodder crop for
animals).

48 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

8c: Weed Control
In a good cocoa block, a little sunlight should get through to the
ground, allowing weak growth of weeds that can be easily controlled by
hand weeding, slashing or spraying herbicides.

Weeds around the trunk must be

removed – they favour damage by
Stem Canker and Trunk Longicorns
and increase humidity in the canopy

Hand weeding around cocoa and herbicide spraying around established

shade trees – herbicides should never be used close to young cocoa as they
can kill the plants

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 49

Hand weeding is done in a 1 metre diameter circle around cocoa trees
and leafy mulch is allowed to accumulate over this area but should be
kept 20cm away from the base of the trunk to avoid Longicorn dam-
age.
Herbicide chemicals recommended for cocoa growing
(usually mixed with a wetting agent to help wet weeds)
Trade Name Active Ingredient Tank mix Target Weeds Precautions for
Applicat’n Rate Mode of action cocoa or special
uses
Roundup, Glyphosate 80ml in 16Litre Annual and pe- Avoid contact
1.84 L/ha Systemic knapsack rennial grasses with leaves and
and broadleaf young stems
weeds
Basta Glufosinate See container Annual grasses Avoid contact
0.8 L/ha ammonium and broad leaved with leaves and
Contact, slightly weeds; peren- young stems;
systemic in nials to some more dangerous
leaves extent to humans than
Glyphosate

Diuron Diuron See container Annual grasses Avoid contact

Systemic and broad leaf with leaves and
weeds young stems
Fusilade Fluazifop-p-butyl See container Annual and pe- Relatively safe
Systemic rennial grasses unless leaves
thoroughly
wetted
Garlon Triclopyr Painted on to Broadleaf weeds Kills woody
Systemic stumps only weeds and
tree stumps
(Paint 1:80 mix
with diesel on
stumps)
Ally or Metsulfuron See container Post emergent Relatively safe to
Farmet methyl on broadleaf and humans; avoid
Systemic some grasses; contact with
works well with young plants
Glyphosate
Amine or 2-4-D See container Broadleaf weeds Avoid contact
Farmine Systemic with leaves and
stems
Starane or Fluoroxypyr See container Woody and Avoid contact
Flurane Systemic broadleaf weeds with leaves and
stems

Herbicides are sprayed with knapsacks with a Green Polyjet nozzle

See 12 below for safe use of pesticides

50 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

8d: Maintaining soil fertility
Recycling organic waste on the farm and returning it to the soil under
the cocoa trees will help maintain soil fertility and pod production (as
well as disposing of waste and infectious pods).
Growing a legume cover crop like Pueraria phaseoloides or Calopogo-
nium caerulium under cocoa will put some nitrogen into the soil and
suppress weeds – however, you have to stop them growing up the
cocoa trunk.
Fertiliser from a bag is expensive and should be used only when indi-
cated by poor growth of trees or signs of nutrient deficiency in the co-
coa (e.g. yellowing of leaves due to nitrogen deficiency) or soil testing
– try adding a recommended amount to some trees and not others to
see if it gives any improvement.
You can make your own fertiliser on a farm by composting any organic
waste such as cocoa and Gliricidia prunings, healthy pod husks and
placentas, and pods infested by Cocoa Pod Borer or Phytophthora –
adding animal manure from chickens, pigs or goats or a little nitrogen
fertiliser from a bag to the compost mix will speed up the composting
process.
Apply fertilisers or manures to cocoa at the end of the harvest period to
promote flowering – 50g urea or 120g NPK per tree.

Cover compost heaps with soil or plastic sheet to prevent escape of Cocoa
Pod Borer or Phytophthora, and keep the compost moist which will speed up
composting

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 51

Application of fertilisers is useful only when applied to well-weeded
trees.

Trenching method for disposing of organic waste among

cocoa and improving soil fertility
One of the earliest cocoa researchers in Papua New Guinea (in
1938) suggested a method that is also promoted in Indonesia
of burying organic waste (e.g. chopped up prunings from
cocoa and shade trees, chopped up pod waste including pods
damaged by Pod Borer and Black Pod), along with pig, goat
or chicken manure in shallow trenches (about the depth and
width of a spade) dug between rows of cocoa trees.
Cocoa Pod Borer or Phytophthora infested pods are covered
with 10cm depth of soil and tamped down as soon as they
have been placed in the trenches to stop escape of insects or
spores.
The organic material undergoes decomposition and
composting in the trenches and eventually becomes a focus
for root growth and earthworm activity.
This is an effective way of disposing of waste material in the
plantation while enhancing soil fertility.
It saves the labour involved in carting harvested or sick pods
to a central location, and then carting the organic composted
manure back to the cocoa plantings - the trenches are easier
to dig, and distribute the organic matter better, than the deep
pits that were previously recommended to bury pod husks.
Addition of animal manure to the trenches speeds up the
composting process.
The trenches should be alternated between cocoa rows and
directions (e.g. East-West in some years, then North-South in
other years)

52 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 9: Main Insect Pests of Cocoa
Over 300 insects have been associated with cocoa in Papua New Guin-
ea but only about 10 are serious pests

Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB, Conopomorpha cramerella)

This pest spread into Papua New Guinea from
cocoa in Indonesia and was first detected here
in 2006. It has become the most serious pest
problem in cocoa; the adult is a tiny brown
and white moth about 7mm long (Photo PNG
UNRE Kairak CPB Training Workbook, 2014)
Signs of Cocoa Pod Borer - premature ripening and

slight distortion of pods

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 53

Cocoa Pod Borer larvae leave brown tracks and dicolouration in the pod pulp
and cause beans to stick together, making them hard to extract

Extracted cocoa beans clumped together due to Cocoa Pod Borer infestation
of pods

54 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Management of Cocoa Pod Borer
• Every week check every tree and remove and bury or compost
every infested pod found.
• Prune to open up cocoa canopy and reduce over-shading.
• Spray pyrethroid insecticides onto developing pods and underside
of larger horizontal branches (see 12).

Mirids (Helopeltis and Pseudodoniella)

Mirid damage is common on pods

but may not be a problem unless
very common

Mirid adult ((Helopeltis 7mm long)

– like a mosquito

Control
Encourage Crazy Ants and Kurukum Ants in cocoa.
Spray pods with synthetic pyrethroid (Karate or Decis) if heavy
infestation (if more than 10 live adults found per 100 trees) – see 12.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 55

Pantorhytes weevils (different species in different areas; not a
problem in Bougainville)

Adult (1.5cm long) and ‘C’-shaped larva (1.5cm long) and entry holes in cocoa
trunk often near branches; may allow entry of Phytophthora to cause Stem
Canker
Control
Hand pick adults, especially looking in the heat of the day, encourage
Crazy Ants, paint larval channels with a mixture of Chlorpyrifos, White
Oil and Ridomil (see 12).
Pantorhytes is more likely to be a problem under Leucaena shade than
Gliricidia shade.

56 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Trunk Longicorn beetles (Glenea sp.)

Adult (2cm long), larva (up to

3cm) in tunnel and entry holes
in cocoa trunk

Trunk Longicorns are a problem in over-shaded cocoa in which the trunk is

covered in weeds and branches droop to the ground

Control
Reduce shade, clear weeds from trunk, paint larval channels with a
mixture of Chlorpyrifos, White Oil and Ridomil (see 12).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 57

Longicorn Tip Borer (Oxymargis horni)
Only a problem in Bougainville attacking young cocoa up to 2 years old
in which main branches can be killed.

Branch killed by tip

borer showing bore
holes

Larva of Longicorn Tip Borer (up to 6cm long)

Control
Prune off affected branches 30cm below damage and bury in compost
trenches.

58 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Coffee Stem Borer (Zeuzera coffeae)

Larva (4cm long) and bore holes in stem

killed by Coffee Stem Borer in young cocoa

Control
Prune off stem 30cm below damage and
bury in compost trenches.

Grey weevils

Grey weevil adult (7mm long) and chewing

damage on stem and petioles of young
cocoa

Control
Make sure young cocoa is well shaded and well weeded by hand
pulling or with herbicides to kill roots on which larvae live; spray with
pyrethroid (Karate or Decis) insecticide if needed – see 12.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 59

Cocoa Webworm (Pansepta teleturga)

Branch damage, frass

attached to web on larva
channel with larva (3cm
long) and adult moth (1cm
long)

Control
Biological control by wasps and Crazy Ants; cut out branches 30cm
below damage and bury in compost trenches.

60 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Pests Eating Young Flush Leaves
Rhyparid Beetles and Caterpillars

Shot-hole damage on new flush leaves and

Rhyparid beetle adult (4-6mm long)

Several types of caterpillar damage Looper caterpillar (2-3cm long)

young flush leaves

Control
Selective spraying with pyrethroid or other insecticide (Orthene 75 or
Septene 80) if serious – see 12.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 61

Cocoa Root Chafers (Dermolepida spp.)

Damage to young cocoa plants caused by Root Chafer larvae; larvae can kill
young plants; common in young cocoa planted on old food gardens

Control
Place 2g Chlorpyrifos (Suscon Blue – 6mg/granule) in the soil around
the roots when planting out.

62 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 10: Main Diseases of Cocoa
Phytophthora Diseases
Diseases caused by the fungus Phytophthora palmivora have long
been a serious problem in cocoa in Papua New Guinea, causing Seed-
ling and Chupon Blight, Stem Canker and Pod Rot (Black Pod).

Chupon Blight caused by Phytophthora; note dead shoot - Phytophthora can

spread from a dead chupon into the trunk and cause Stem Canker (see 5e for
Seedling Blight)

Pantorhytes and longicorn bore holes are

often associated with Phytophthora Stem
Canker – they allow the fungus to get into the
trunk

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 63

Stem Canker on trunk (arrow), and with bark scraped off to show red-brown
discolouration of inner bark

Treatment – Scrape off the bark surface to reveal the extent of the
canker and paint with a solution of 2% metalaxyl plus mancozeb
(Ridomil Plus 72) or metalaxyl plus copper (Laxyl Copper) prepared by
mixing 200 grams of the ingredient in 10 litres of water.

If Stem Canker is associated with an insect larva channel paint with

30ml Chlorpyrifos + 250ml White Oil + 15g Ridomil Plus + 700ml water
(see 12).

Stages of development of Black

Pod showing fuzzy white growth of
spore-forming structures of Phytoph-
thora

64 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Stages of development of Black Pod showing fuzzy white growth of
spore-forming structures of Phytophthora

Spores are mainly dispersed by rain splash or can be carried by insect

borers attracted to rotting pods.

Management of Black Pod

• Plant Hybrid Clones with some resistance to Black Pod.
• Maintain a low open cocoa canopy with light shade to
speed up drying of the branches and pods after rain.
• Keep leaf litter layer under cocoa to stop spores being
splashed up from the soil onto lower pods.
• Remove Black Pods every week and bury or compost
them, along with pods infested by Cocoa Pod Borer.
• Spray pods with Ridomil Plus or Laxyl Copper (see 12) if
necessary as indicated by monitoring the occurrence of
disease.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 65

Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD) – caused by the fungus Cerato-
basidium (Oncobasidium) theobromae

In the 1960s VSD nearly destroyed the cocoa industry in Papua New
Guinea – it was saved by the selection of resistant types of cocoa that
survived the epidemic.
The planting of resistant types of cocoa is crucial for managing the
disease.
All current Hybrid Clones and Hybrid Seedlings have some (but not
complete) resistance to VSD.

Late symptoms of VSD – leaf fall, growth of axillary buds and eventual tip
death; the disease does not occur in Bougainville, New Ireland, Manus, the
Milne Bay islands, or the tip of West New Britain and the Bali Witu Islands
Photo Pathology Section CCIL

66 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Early symptoms of VSD – leaves on the 2nd or 3rd growth flush behind the tip
turning yellow with green spots, then becoming brown and falling off branch

Typical leaf symptoms of VSD

– yellow leaves with green
spots, leaf fall, eventual tip
death and dieback

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 67

Browning of vascular
tissue in junction of
petioles and stem

This is a defining symp-

toms if leaf symptoms
are not clear

Discolouration of wood and inner bark of VSD infected branch – sometimes

infected leaves also develop black dead patches as shown here

68 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

White spore-farming growth of the VSD fungus formed during wet weather on
exposed vascular tissue resulting from the fall of infected leaves or cracks in
petioles and leaf veins

Spores of the VSD fungus are formed at night when the fungus is wet-
ted by afternoon rain, and are spread by wind. The disease is spread by
these wind-borne spores.
VSD infection is more common during long wet periods.
Management
• Plant Hybrid Clones or Seedlings that have some resis-
tance to VSD.
• Maintain a low open cocoa canopy and light shade to
speed up drying of the foliage after rain.
• Cut VSD infected branches from trees during regular
pruning rounds, especially just before the wet season
when the fungus mainly forms spores.
• Cut branches 30cm below symptoms on branches and
bury them in compost trenches.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 69

Pink Disease (caused by the fungus Corticium salmonicolor)

Branch killed by Pink Disease

and branches (above) showing
the growth of the fungus on the
outside of the bark, later forming
spore-forming growth on the bark
(above right)
Photos Pathology Section CCIL

Control
Cut branches off 30cm below symptoms and bury.
If on large branches, paint infection with Macrupax (see 12).

70 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Root Rots of Mature Trees Caused by Bracket Fungi

These fungi invade the roots and lower trunk and kill the whole tree –
death occurs suddenly with all leaves still attached.

Root Rot fungus forming crust or bracket-lie spore forming structures on base
of trunk Photos Pathology Section CCIL

Kurukum Ants on a
cocoa pod (often seen
under coconut shade) –
they will deter Mirids

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 71

Thread Blight
This is a minor disease in which leaves die and remain attached to
branches by fungus threads (affected branches should be pruned out
during normal pruning rounds).

Cherelle Wilt
Many cherelles die at an early stage of development and these should
all be removed regularly because some will contain Phytophthora.

Cherelles infected by Phytophthora (left, showing spreading rot) and turning

yellow overall and then black with Cherelle Wilt caused by physiological death
of the cherelles (right) Photos Pathology Section CCIL

72 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 11: Integrated Pest and
Disease Management (IPDM)
In Papua New Guinea, the fungus diseases Black Pod (Phytophthora
Pod Rot), Stem Canker and Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD), and several
insect pests including Pantorhytes and Longicorns have always been
serious problems in cocoa.
Since 2006 the insect Cocoa Pod Borer has also become a very serious
problem.
Together, Black Pod and Cocoa Pod Borer can destroy 80% of pods in
poorly managed cocoa, and Pantorhytes, Stem Canker, VSD and Longi-
corns can cause trees to become sick.
All the management tasks described under 8 above will help control all
pests and diseases in a cocoa block.
‘Integrated’ means all pests and diseases have to be managed together
and all management methods have to be applied as a whole strategy –
they all affect one another.
Constant monitoring and keeping records of the health of a cocoa
block is the basis for IPDM - this can be done while working regularly in
a cocoa block.
Biological Control of Pests
Many insect pests are
controlled by other insects
in cocoa blocks and these
beneficial insects must not
be killed by uncontrolled
spraying of insecticides.

Crazy Ants and Kurukum Crazy Ant killing a

Ants help control some Pantorhytes weevil
insect pests. in a cocoa block
Photo J. Moxon
Kurukum Ants on a cocoa
pod (often seen under coco-
nut shade) – they will deter
Mirids

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 73

 Crazy Ant killing a Pantorhytes
weevil in a cocoa block
Photo J. Moxon

Benefical ants can be intro-

duced to a cocoa block in
bamboo packed with leaves
– ants colonise leaves in an
infested block and the bamboo
is taken to a new block – the
bamboos are placed facing
down slope so that water can’t
get in

Cocoa often has fewer insect problems when grown under the shade
of coconut palms that harbour Kurukum (Weaver) Ants – these chase
away some cocoa pests.
Gliricidia shade trees attract Crazy Ants and cocoa growers sometimes
leave them as part of mixed permanent shade for this purpose.
Coconut palms at the correct spacing (12m x 12m) provide ideal
sparse shade for cocoa and this will also reduce pest and disease
problems in the cocoa.

74 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Disease Resistance
Hybrid Clones and Seedlings recommended by CCIL have been se-
lected to have some resistance to VSD and Black Pod (and Cocoa Pod
Borer in the 2nd Series Hybrid Clones - see 5).
But they are not completely resistant – they can still be infested but not
as much as in very susceptible types of cocoa.
Resistance has to be combined with the cultural and biological control
measures that are part of IPDM
IPDM can have different levels of input – farmers can test different
options and choose the one that suits them.
(From ‘Integrated Pest and Disease Management for Sustainable Cocoa Production’
by John Konam, Yak Namaliu, Rosalie Daniel and David Guest, ACIAR, Canberra, 2008)

Option Level of Input Activity

1 Low Current farm practice (low yields)
2 Medium • Regularly prune cocoa and shade trees
Increas- (requires increased
to maintain sparse shade and low open
es pod labour only) cocoa trees
produc- • Cut out shoots damaged by VSD, Pink
tion Basically the 10 Disease, Coffee Stem Borer, Pansepta
points of good and Tip Longicorn when pruning cocoa
Reduces cocoa management • Hand weed around cocoa
pod loss (see 8 above) • Inspect cocoa every week and remove
and bury or compost all sick pods (CPB
and Black Pod)
• Harvest all healthy ripe pods as soon as
they are ripe
3 High Option 2. plus application of fertiliser or
Increas- (requires increased manure
es pod labour as for 2. and
produc- cost for fertiliser)
tion
4 Highest Option 3. plus use of herbicides, fungicides
Further (as for 3. plus cost for Black Pod and Stem Canker, and in-
reduces for applying pesti- secticides for Cocoa Pod Borer, Mirids and
pod loss cides) trunk borers

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 75

Black Pod (left) and Cocoa Pod Borer (right), the big problems that together
can destroy 80% of cocoa pods if not controlled with IPDM

Infested pods removed every week from cocoa trees must be buried or com-
posted to kill Cocoa Pod Borer and Phytophthora; shallow trench on right is
dug between rows of cocoa and pods and other organic waste are buried un-
der 10cm depth of soil and tamped down – this not only breaks the life-cycles
of the pests but also manures the cocoa.

76 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Main pests and diseases of cocoa and main options for their control
Symptoms Likely cause Management options
Damage to woody trunks and branches of mature trees
Vertical tunnels or channels in Pantorhytes Weevil Collect weevils by hand; encourage
main trunk under the bark, gum Crazy Ants; paint channels with
exuded onto bark mix of insecticide/fungicide
Horizontal tunnels in trunk or Trunk Longicorn Reduce shade; remove weeds near
main branches; much frass (Glenea) trunk; paint channels with mix of
pushed out onto bark insecticide/fungicide
Unthrifty tree with interlocking Giant Cocoa Termites Open up trunk above nest and pour
mass of fine channels in wood in insecticide solution
u
Water soaked patches on bark Phytophthora Canker Scrape off outer bark and paint
on lower trunk; red-brown with insecticide/fungicide mixture
colour when outer bark scraped
off
Damage to main stem of young plants – will affect plant establishment
Chewing damage to the Grey Weevils Ensure cocoa has some shade and
semi-hardened bark and peti- is well weeded and mulched
oles of shoots
Tip of shoots killed in young Longicorn Tip Borer Cut out the infected stem 30 cm
cocoa up to 2 years old (Oxymagis) below the lowest symptoms (i.e.
pollarding)
Unthrifty branch with tip die- Coffee Stem Borer Cut out the infected stem 30 cm
back and occasional bore holes (Zeuzera) below the damage and encourage
with frass growth of new shoots
Yellow leaves with green spots Vascular Streak Die- Cut out the infected stem 30 cm
plus swollen lenticels on the back below the lowest symptoms (i.e.
main stem pollarding)
Dieback of outer branches of mature trees
Dieback of outer shoots, with Cocoa Webworm Cut out infected branches 30cm
wood frass attached to web- (Pansepta) below damage; ensure that the co-
like covering of bore holes coa has adequate shade; encour-
age Crazy Ants
Dieback of branches with Vascular Streak Die- Cut out infected branches 30cm
leaves behind the tip turning back below lowermost symptoms
yellow with green spots
Damage to very young plants or chupons
Blight of young soft leaves Phytophthora Shoot Use potting soil free of Phytoph-
and shoot tips, starting at the Blight thora; immediately remove infected
leaf tip seedlings from nursery
Yellowing of leaves and swollen Vascular Streak Die- Grow seedlings in a nursery under
lenticels on stem back a plastic roof
White powdery masses of Mealybugs Can be sprayed with insecticide if
insects often at shoot tip serious

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 77

Damage to cocoa pods
Pod begin to turn black in Phytophthora Pod Rot Remove and bury or compost
patches until whole pod is (Black Pod) infected pods as soon as they are
black seen
Pods begin to ripen prema- Cocoa Pod Borer Remove and bury or compost
turely and unevenly; slight infested pods as soon as they are
distortion of pods seen
Many small black, blister-like Mirids Encourage Crazy Ants, but spray if
spots on the pod surface needed
Holes bored in ripe pods with Husk Borer Harvest pods as soon as they are
frass pushed out onto the ripe; encourage Crazy Ants
surface of the pod
Large holes eaten in pods Rats, flying foxes, Harvest pods as soon as they are
parrots ripe
Damage to leaves
Many tiny ‘shot holes’ in soft Rhyparid Beetles Severe outbreaks can be sprayed
flush leaves, with insecticides
Uneven eating of soft young Caterpillars Severe outbreaks can be sprayed
leaves with insecticides
Bronzing and wilting of leaves Thrips Ensure adequate shade, plants not
stressed
Sudden death of whole plants
Young plants collapse and die Root Chafers If a severe problem near old food
suddenly due to larvae eating gardens can be treated with insec-
through tap roots ticide granules
Whole tree dies suddenly with Fungal root rots Dig out and burn all the roots down
all dead leaves left hanging; to about pencil size
crusty growth at the base of
the trunk

Integrated Pest and Disease Management Tasks

Plant the latest recommended CCIL Hybrid Clones or Seedlings that
have some resistance to Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB), VSD and Black Pod
Plant cocoa at the appropriate spacing and under shade that can be
maintained to allow 80% light penetration to established cocoa
Identify any pest and disease problems using the Table above
Use foundation and maintenance pruning to keep cocoa trees lower
than twice human height with an open lower canopy and with most
pods borne on the lower branches
This allows pods and growing branches to be easily seen for weekly
sanitation pod removal (CPB, Black Pod), branch pruning (VSD, Pink
Disease, Coffee Stem Borer, Tip Longicorn, Pansepta) and hand picking
of Pantorhytes

78 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 Prune out any VSD, Pink Disease, Coffee Stem Borer, Pansepta and Tip
Longicorn infested branches during maintenance pruning rounds
Prune Gliricidia shade regularly to maintain about 80% of full sunlight
hitting the cocoa canopy
This gives more flowering and pod production
It helps dry out the cocoa trees after rain and reduces infection by Phy-
tophthora and VSD
It helps reduce CPB moth activity, which is favoured by heavy shade
It reduces trunk longicorn damage
It also improves access to the cocoa trees for sanitation and harvesting
Control weeds
This reduces humidity in the canopy and reduces access of Trunk Lon-
gicorns and Grey Weevils to the cocoa trunk
It also improves human access for sanitation activities and harvesting
Remove all CPB and Phytophthora infested pods from every tree, at
least weekly = Remove ‘every sick pod, from every tree, every week’
Dispose of the infested pods by burying them in trenches dug between
rows of cocoa or in central pits, or by composting them with other or-
ganic waste under a plastic cover
Don’t leave infested pods uncovered in piles - CPB larvae can emerge
from pod heaps, pupate and produce adult moths than can fly to infest
healthy pods, and Phytophthora can sporulate on pods and be dis-
persed by water splash or pod boring insects
Inspect lower trunks for Stem Canker during regular maintenance
rounds and treat with a fungicide/insecticide paint if needed
Once all the above cultural management activities have been done, tar-
geted spraying of pods (for CPB and Black Pod) and underside of larger
branches (for CPB) may be necessary to bring outbreaks under control;
with good application of cultural control measures, spraying should not
be necessary
Monitor occurrence of pests and diseases to allow judgements about
whether the IPDM is working or whether adjustments have to be made

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 79

 Chapter 12: Safe Use of
Pesticides
Chemical pesticides are useful for controlling weeds, insect pests and
diseases but they have to be carefully used as part of an overall IPDM
program - without the cultural control measures of IPDM, pesticides
are wasted, and often do more harm than good.
Pesticides are poisonous chemicals and their use should be avoided
as much as possible – if they have to be used first get some special
training in how to use them safely.

The photo below shows

all the safety clothing
that has to be used
when spraying pesti-
cides – cap, face mask
over mouth and nose,
clothing covering arms
and legs, rubber gloves
and rubber boots – the
sprayer should also use
safety glasses to pro-
tect his eyes Photo CCIL

80 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

The knapsack sprayer shown below is the most useful spray equip-
ment for a smallholder farmer – consult your agricultural supplier for
more information on sprayers and nozzles.
Insecticide chemicals currently available and recommended for cocoa
growing, their type of action, target insects, tank mix, and concentration
and amount of active ingredient (a.i.) applied (assuming blanket spray-
ing)
Trade Name Active Target Insects Tank Mix (all with
Strength Ingredient 2ml surfactant, 50ml
sticker and 10L
Type of Action water)
Final % and amount
of a.i. applied/ha
Karate Synthetic pyrethroid, Cocoa Pod Borer Tank mix 28ml Karate
2.5% EC lambda-cyhalothrin Caterpillars (0.007% a.i.)
250g/L Ryparid beetles 8g a.i./ha
Mirids (Helopeltis
Contact, repellant, Pod Suckers)
protective Amblypelta
Pantorhytes
Grey weevils
Thrips
Decis Synthetic pyrethroid, Cocoa Pod Borer Tank mix 28ml Decis
2.5% EC Deltamethrin 27.5g/L Caterpillars (0.007% a.i.)
Ryparid beetles 8g a.i./ha
Contact, repellent, Mirids (Helopeltis
protective Pod Suckers)
Amblypelta
Grey weevils
Thrips
Malathion Organophosphate Mealybugs Tank mix 30ml
50EC Absorbed through Thrips Malathion (0.15% a.i.)
skin +100 ml White Oil
330g a.i./ha
Contact
Septene 80EC Carbaryl Ryparid beetles Tank mix 75ml
(Carbamate) Septene (0.6% a.i.)
Highly toxic 650g a.i./ha

Contact

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 81

Chlorpyrifos Organophosphate Pantorhytes larvae Channel paint =
500 Longicorn beetles 30ml Chlorpyrifos +
Coffee Stem Borer 250ml White Oil + 15g
Ridomil Plus/L water
(used to paint insect
channels in stems;
Ridomil added to
prevent Phytophthora
Canker)
Orthene Acephate Ryparid beetles Tank mix 40g Orthene
75WP (Organophosphate) Thrips (0.3% a.i.)
Absorbed through 380g a.i./ha
skin
Highly toxic

Contact, systemic
Bifenthrin Synthetic pyrethroid Grey weevils, and Tank mix
other pests as for
Contact Decis and Karate
Rogor Dimethoate Pansepta Web Tank mix 70ml Rogor
30EC (Organophosphate) Worm (0.6% a.i.)
Absorbed through 330g a.i./ha
skin
Highly toxic

Contact,
systemic
Actellic Pirimiphos-methyl Caterpillars Tank mix 60ml
(Organophosphate) Actellic
Highly toxic 330g a.i./ha

Contact

It is advisable to get an extension officer to give proper training in the

safe use of pesticides, the best ones to use and the correct doses and
mixtures.
If the same pesticide is used time after time, the weeds, insects or
fungi will develop resistance to that chemical and it will no longer be
effective.
Therefore pesticides with different modes of action have to be
swapped over from time to time

If a pesticide is used, it should be tested on part of a cocoa block and

the results compared with the rest of the block.

82 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Fungicides chemicals currently available and recommended for cocoa
growing, their mode of action, target diseases, tank mixes and final
concentration applied
Trade Active Ingre- Type of Target Fungi Preparation and
Name dient Action final concentration
Applica- applied
tion Rate
Copper Copper (Cu- Protective Phytophthora Tank mix 200g Nor-
Nordox prous oxide) spray (Pod Rot) dox + 5ml sticker +
Pink disease 10L water
(2%)
Copper Copper (Cu- Protective Phytophthora Tank mix 200g San-
Sandoz prous oxide) spray (Pod Rot) doz + 5ml sticker +
Pink disease 10L water
(2%)
Macuprax Copper (Bor- Protective Phytophthora Tank mix 200g Mu-
2% deaux mixture) spray (Pod Rot) caprax + 5ml sticker
Pink disease + 10L water
(2%)
Ridomil Metalaxyl Protective Phytophtho- Tank mix 30g Ridomil
Plus 72 (Phenylamide) + and systemic ra (Seedling + 5ml sticker + 10L
Mancozeb (Dith- spray Blight, Pod water (0.3% solution)
iocarbamate) Rot)
Ridomil Metalaxyl Pre-germi- Phytophtho- Mix 40g Ridomil + 2L
Plus 72 (Phenylamide) + nation seed ra (Seedling water (1% solution)
Mancozeb (Dith- treatment Blight)
iocarbamate) (seeds
dipped in
mix)
Ridomil Metalaxyl Mix for paint- Phytoph- Mix 40g Ridomil + 2L
Plus 72 (Phenylamide) + ing on Stem thora (Stem water (1% solution)
Mancozeb (Dith- Cankers Canker)
iocarbamate)
Ridomil Metalaxyl-M Protective Phytophthora Tank mix 30g Ridomil
Plus Gold (mefenoxam) + and systemic (Seedling + 5ml sticker + 10L
Cuprous oxide spray Blight, Pod water (0.3% solution)
Rot)
Laxyl Metalaxyl Protective Phytophthora Tank mix 30g Laxyl
Copper (Phenylamide) + and systemic (Seedling Copper + 5ml sticker
Copper spray Blight, Pod + 10L water (0.3%
Rot) solution)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 83

Laxyl Metalaxyl Pre-germi- Phytophthora Mix 40g Laxyl Copper
Copper (Phenylamide) + nation seed (Seedling + 2L water (1% solu-
Copper treatment Blight) tion)
(seeds
dipped in
mix)
Laxyl Metalaxyl Mix for paint- Phytoph- Mix 40g Laxyl Copper
Copper (Phenylamide) + ing on Stem thora (Stem + 2L water (1% solu-
Copper Cankers Canker) tion)
Foli- Phosphonate Systemic Phytophthora
R-Fos, (Pod Rot)
Aliette
Garlon Triclopyr plus Protective Root rotting One part Garlon and
plus copper mixture for basidiomy- 2 parts Sandoz in 60
Copper painting on cete parts diesel or old
freshly cut fungi engine oil.
stumps

A matchbox contains about 15g chemical powder

Metalaxyl fungicides to control Seedling Blight are sprayed with a nap-
sack sprayer with a VLV100 nozzle

84 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 STRICT RULES FOR USING PESTICIDES
• Keep chemicals in their original container, make sure they
are marked ‘POISON’, and store in a locked place where
children can’t get near them.

• Never store pesticides in drink or cooking oil bottles in

case they are consumed by mistake and kill people.

• Never store chemicals near food.

• Never eat, drink or smoke when spraying chemicals.

• Wash your hands and face with soap and water after
spraying chemicals.

• Always change your clothes and wash them with soap and
water after spraying chemicals.

• Do not throw away unwanted chemicals or chemical

containers near a water supply and do not burn them – ar-
range to take them back to the supplier.

• Do not wash out chemical containers and use them for

another purpose – the plastic retains some of the poison.

• Spraying of pesticides should be done by men, and never

by children, or women of child-bearing age.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 85

 13: Harvesting and Breaking
Cocoa Pods
The cocoa cropping cycle in Papua New Guinea
Flower flushes follow leaf flushes, and both are influenced by the
growth stage of the tree, the fertility of the soil, the amount of shade,
and especially seasonal rainfall.
Hybrid Seedlings begin flowering a little more than 2 years after plant-
ing, while Hybrid Clones can begin flowering as early as 1.5 years after
planting in the field.
At the end of the wet season (March) trees produce a flush of new
leaves followed in April-May by a flush of flowers on the trunk and
main branches.
If the flowers are pollinated, tiny pods begin developing and reach
maturity after 5-6 months, therefore producing a harvest peak in Oct-
Nov-Dec (beginning of the wet season).
A second flush of new leaves followed by flowers occurs in the early
wet season (Nov-Dec), producing a second cropping peak in May-
June (in the drier season).
The relative size and timing of the two peaks can vary with location
and season – sometimes the October-November-December harvest
is the main one, while sometimes the May-June harvest is bigger.
In very wet areas such as southern Bougainville, the flowering and
harvesting period are two months earlier than given above.
Full production of trees is reached after 4-5 years; the SG1 and SG2
Trinitario/Amazon hybrid types of cocoa suffer a decline in production
after this early peak (compared with the pure Tinitario types first plant-
ed in Papua New Guinea); the reason for this is yet to be determined.
But high yields can be maintained for 15 years or more with good
management.
More intensive growing of cocoa will involve replacing cocoa trees
after about 15 years, especially with rapid improvement in varieties in
the cocoa breeding program at CCIL.

86 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Harvesting
Harvest healthy pods as soon as they are ripe (green pods turn yellow;
red pods turn orange colour) otherwise they will be damaged by flying
foxes, birds or rats or may become infected by Black Pod and be lost; if
they are infested by Cocoa Pod Borer, the insect will be able to emerge,
pupate and infest other pods.
Beans can germinate within over-ripe pods, which reduces their quality
(see 16 below).
Unripe pods must not be harvested (unless they are sick – see 11) as
the beans will not ferment properly.

Cocoa Pod Borer forming a pupa on a ripe pod – if left in the canopy the adult
moth can hatch out and infest more pods

Different tools should be used to harvest sick and healthy pods or else
tools have to be washed thoroughly after cutting out Black Pod – tools
can spread the fungus.
Sick or healthy ripe pods must be cut off the branches using a sharp
tool – a secateur is best or a sharp pod hook on a stick. Pods should
never be ripped off the branches by hand as this will damage the flower
cushion that contains the flower buds needed to produce the future
pods. Care must be taken not to damage the flower cushion with cut-
ting tools. Flower cushions must be treated as very precious because
their health determines the future crop.
It you are selling wet beans, the pods should be harvested on the
morning they are picked up for delivery to the fermentary.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 87

If you are fermenting your own beans, you have to collect in a day
enough pods to fill a fermenting box or sweat box with beans so that
you can get a good fermentation mass – boxes should be nearly full to
give good fermentation.
• About 8-10 pods give 1kg wet beans (depending on the cocoa
variety) – you can determine this for your own cocoa.
• You may have to combine with other farmers to get enough beans
to get good fermentation.
• Harvested pods can be kept for up to 2 days before breaking – this
may be needed to get enough wet beans to ferment (see 14).
The pods should be broken open with a blunt stick such as a kwila stick
so that the beans are not cut, which reduces their quality.
If the pods are fully ripe the beans should come out of the broken pods
easily and be easy to remove from the string (placenta) that holds them
and the pulp should be slimy.
Pods should not be broken in the rain – rain will wash away the pulp
that is needed to give good fermentation.
Beans must be placed in a fermentation box on the day they are ex-
tracted from pods – beans extracted on one day must not be mixed in
the same fermentation box with beans extracted on another day.
Beans can be salvaged from Black Pods (especially if the pods are
infected when nearly ripe) and from pods infested by Cocoa Pod Borer
but they must be fermented separately from healthy beans.
When harvesting pods, avoid damaging the flower cushion as this con-
tains the buds for producing the future flowers and pods - harvesting
pods on smaller trees can be done with secateurs, which won’t dam-
age the flower cushions as much as pod hooks.

88 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Breaking pods and collected beans into a bag in the field, ready to be taken to
a fermentary; it is better to break pods with a wooden stick to avoid damaging
the beans (also it is safer than using a bush knife)

Exposed heap of pod husks likely to spread Cocoa Pod Borer and
Phytophthora - these should be buried in compost trenches (see 11)14:
Fermenting Cocoa Beans

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 89

 14: Fermenting Cocoa Beans
Wet cocoa beans have to be fermented and dried to develop the choco-
late flavour needed by chocolate makers.
Fermenting and drying are special processes, and are just as important
as growing the cocoa – if they are not done well, all the hard work of
growing the cocoa will be wasted.
Fermentaries have to be registered with the Cocoa Board of PNG –
inspectors from the Board will check that the fermentation boxes and
drier are up to standard.
There are various sizes of fermentation boxes made from wooden
boards that are quite thick (20 – 50mm) to retain heat as the fermen-
tation mass heats up – there should be no gaps between the side
boards, and 5mm-wide gaps between the bottom boards to let liquid
(‘sweatings”) drain out.
The standard box size is 120cm long x 90cm wide x 90cm deep, but
smaller miniboxes (60cm x 50cm x 60cm deep) have been developed
at CCIL to hold smaller quantities of beans.

Fermentation boxes showing 3 compartments with removable boards for

turning the beans

90 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

A small fermentation box 60cm x 50cm x 60cm deep – it has to be filled to at
least 50 cm deep with cocoa beans; it holds about 200kg beans (from about
1600 pods)
Fermentation boxes are raised off the ground to allow liquid to drain
out, and they must be protected from rain in a shed. New boxes should
be inoculated with scrapings from the inside of an old box to add the
microbes that carry out fermentation.
Sweat boxes can be used to ferment smaller batches (100 kg, 50 kg,
25 kg 10 kg) – these are called ‘sweat boxes’ because when filled with
beans they are wrapped around with several layers of banana leaves
and old cocoa bags to keep the heat in and stop too much air getting in
and cooling the beans.
Weigh batches of wet beans before they are put in the fermentation
box and again after they are dried to calculate the wet to dry bean con-
version rate (it should be about 40%).
Fermentation or sweat boxes should be almost full to achieve good
fermentation (the mass should be at least 50 – 65 deep in the larger
boxes) – if boxes are not full enough the fermentation will not go well
and the beans may go rotten.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 91

The fermentation mass should be covered with 2-3 layers of banana
leaves and then a layer of clean hessian bags (not bags that have con-
tained copra, which will taint the cocoa) – this is needed to keep the
heat in the fermentation mass.

Fermentation mass covered with clean hessian bags to keep the heat in (fer-
mentation is just beginning – the mass is still white)

Fermentation mass turning brown, with a vinegar smell, and heating up to

indicate a good process (note that the mass is covered with banana leaves to
retain heat)

92 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

The fermentation mass has to be turned (i.e. tipped and shoveled from
one box to another) every 24 hours – i.e. 5 times in a 6 day fermen-
tation cycle. This aerates the mass and is the most important factor
in obtaining good fermentation. It also breaks up clumps of beans to
allow air to penetrate and mixes the cocoa mass to give a more even
ferment and stop rotting of beans in the colder corners and bottom of
the box.
When the mass is shoveled out of one box into another, the gaps in the
bottom of the boxes must be cleaned by scraping with a bush knife to
allow air to penetrate.
Because the mass of beans in sweat boxes is smaller, they just have to
be stirred with a wooden paddle to aerate them rather than turned from
one box into another – this is done only once, on day 2.
On days 3 and 4 of fermentation several changes in the bean mass
indicate that the process has been going well:
• The outer coat of the beans should be turning red-brown.
• The bean mass should be warm – it should reach a peak of about
50oC on day 4, which develops the chocolate flavor in the beans.
• The mass should smell of organic acids (mainly acetic acid – vine-
gar), and not have a rotten smell.
• There should be air spaces between the beans as they become
‘dry-sticky’.
If the fermentation doesn’t go well and the beans start to stink, turn
them out and dry them immediately so that at least they can be sold as
substandard beans and are not lost completely.
Fermentation should not go longer than 6 days or the beans will be
over-fermented and will be of a lower quality (see 17).
If beans are under-fermented they will also be of lower quality.
If beans are dried more slowly by sun-drying, they may need a shorter
fermentation time in the boxes as fermentation will continue for a short
time after they are put on the drying rack.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 93

 15: Drying Cocoa Beans
Correct drying of beans is as important as correct fermenting for deter-
mining the final quality of the beans for export.
Cocoa beans can be dried on simple platforms in the sun if the envi-
ronmental conditions are not too wet; platforms are covered with tar-
paulins or clear plastic sheets in the event of rain (see below); globally,
most cocoa is sun dried.

However, in many places in Papua New Guinea it is too wet during the
main harvest season for simple passive sun drying to be rapid enough
to give good quality cocoa beans.
94 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK
A wood-fired kiln drier on the design shown below has been developed
in Papua New Guinea to speed up the sun drying of cocoa beans.
• A steel kiln pipe is built under a metal mesh drying rack on
which the beans are spread about 5cm deep.
• A roof can be rolled off to expose the beans for sun drying when
the weather is dry.
• During wet weather the roof is rolled over the drying rack and
wood in the kiln is lit to provide heat to continue drying the
beans.

Drawing of Post-harvest Section CCIL

The kiln pipes tend to rust and develop holes over time, and this allows
smoke to pass up through the beans and give them a smoke taint that
has reduced the demand for Papua New Guinea cocoa beans in the
world market. Also fragments tend to fall down from the drying rack
and burn on the kiln pipe, creating smoke.
Therefore kiln pipes must be cleaned and inspected regularly for holes
and replaced as soon as holes are seen and smoke starts to go up
through the beans.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 95
The passive sun drying/kiln drying unit that is common in Papua New Guinea
(this one has two kiln pipes)
• The left hand photo shows the chimney designed to carry smoke away
for the drying rack
• The right hand photo shows the kiln pipes in which wood is burned to
provide heat to dry the beans
• The roof is covering the cocoa drying rack
In an attempt to provide more solar drying of cocoa, CCIL has devel-
oped an active solar/wood-fired kiln combination drier as shown in the
photo below

96 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Black painted rocks in the wings on either side of the drying rack are
heated by the sun; they are covered by polycarbonate sheets that give
a glasshouse effect and heats up the rocks.
Air passes over the rocks in the two wings and is heated before it pass-
es up through the central drying bed, thus boosting the solar drying (=
active solar drying).
In the event of rain, the drying bed can be covered with a roof that
slides on rails and the wood-fired kiln can be lit to boost drying.
To get good drying with the simple solar drier above, only a thin layer

Cheap solar drier made of

timber and plastic sheet
-- the side plastic can be
rolled down to protect
beans during rain
-- the gap at the top lets
moist air escape and
draws air through a
thin layer of beans on
the drying rack
-- if the top vent is facing
away from the prevail-
ing wind, the wind will
suck air up through
the drying racks
-- black rocks can be
placed under the dry-
ing racks to heat up
and help drying

of beans (2cm deep) is placed on the drying rack and the beans are
raked every half hour until they are sticky dry and air can pass through
the bean layer. If the drier is placed near the family home women and
youth can supervise this.
If drying is slow during wet weather, the beans can be turned into a
kiln drier; using a simple solar drier in conjunction with a kiln drier will
prolong the life of the kiln pipes.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 97

The drying process
Beans should be spread on the drying rack in the early morning to take
advantage of the full sunlight during the first day of drying.
For the combination solar/kiln drier, beans should be spread about 5cm
deep on the drying bed – the thinner the layer the more rapid the drying
process.
During the first 12 hours of drying, beans must be raked every hour
until they become ‘skin dry’ and they should be allowed to rest without
any kiln heating on the first night – this allows water and organic acids
to move from the centre of each bean to the outer shell, resulting in
higher quality beans (fatter beans with lower acidity).
After the first day of drying the beans should be raked four times a day
(twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon) to ensure uniform
drying – during raking, unwanted material such as pieces of placenta
should be removed and double beans separated (see 17).
Kiln drying should not be applied for more than 6-8 hours per day
during the day, and then the beans are allowed to rest during the night,
when moisture and acid can move from the centre to the outside of
each bean.
If there is no rest period or drying is too fast at too high a temperature
there may be two problems:
• The outside of the beans becomes drier than the inside.
• Beans will be too acidic which is a problem on the world market
(although some niche markets want more acidic beans).
Smoke tainting of beans can occur for several reasons:
• If the kiln pipes have rusted and holes in the pipe allow smoke to
pass up through the drying rack
• If beans or placenta fall through the drying rack onto the hot kiln
pipe and catch fire, making smoke that then passes up through the
beans on the drying rack,
• If the chimney is not high enough and allows smoke to drift back
down onto the beans, or
• If the fermentation boxes are too close to the drier and in the path
of smoke coming from the chimney.

98 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Beans should have 6-7% water content at the conclusion of drying.
This should take from 4 to 10 days depending on the weather and the
use of kiln drying.
Whether the beans are dry enough can be tested as follows:
• Squeeze a handful of cooled beans – if they are fully dry they
should make a crackling sound.
• Crush a few beans by rubbing them between your thumb and
fingers -
-- If they are fully dry the inner nibs will break into pieces but
the skin will not break much.
-- If the inside of the bean is rubbery and does not break into
pieces easily, it means the beans are not dry enough.
• Take a bean and try bending it with a thumb and forefinger on each
hand– if the bean is fully dry it will snap; if insufficiently dry the
beans will be rubbery and will bend without snapping.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 99

 16: Bagging and Selling Dry
Cocoa Beans
Dry beans are now ready for sorting and bagging.
When they are delivered to an exporter they will be checked for export
quality and may be rejected if they are sub-standard.
It is good to sort beans before bagging them to ensure that they will
meet quality standards and be accepted by the exporter.
Six problems that lower bean quality are shown below.
Foreign matter and beans with any of these faults should be removed
before they are finally bagged up for delivery to an exporter.

Broken beans – beans with parts Double beans – due to insufficient

missing but shell still attached raking and breaking of clumps during
Photo CCIL drying
Photo CCIL

100 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Foreign matter in beans – e.g. stones, Flat beans – cotyledons too narrow
dirt, rat hair, sacking, twine, insects, for the cut test
placenta (must be less than 1%) Photo CCIL
Photo CCIL

A sample of good quality dry

cocoa beans

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 101

Germinated beans – shell pierced, slit Nibs – broken pieces of cotyledons
or broken by growth of the embryonic (nibs) separated from their shells.
root. Photo CCIL Photo CCIL

Bits of broken beans and loose nibs can be bagged separately for sale
as ‘nibs’ – they will bring a lower price than good quality whole beans.
Beans must be bagged in new, clean hessian sacks marked as shown
in the photo.
• Each bag must weight 63.5kg (62.5kg beans + 1kg weight of bag);
16 bags make 1 metric tonne.
• Old copra sacks must not be used or these will taint the beans and
lower their quality.
Bags are sewn up with twine so that beans can’t escape and must be
stored in a clean dry place away from vermin and contaminating chem-
icals such as diesel and pesticides.
It is illegal to sell beans to anyone but an exporter licensed by the Co-
coa Board of PNG.

102 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 A bag of dry cocoa
beans marked ‘PNG
Cocoa Beans’ with the
fermentary name and
registration number for
delivery to the exporter
such as Agmark

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 103

 17: Cocoa Bean Quality
On delivery to an exporter the beans are inspected by a Cocoa Quality
Assessor (CQA) who checks that the bags are new, clean and undam-
aged, weigh 63.5kg, are correctly stamped and are sewn correctly.
The CQA then takes a sample of beans from each bag with a stabber
and subsamples are:
• Ground to powder and checked for unwanted smells such as
smoke taint or diesel or rotten smells.
• Checked for moisture content (must be 5.5-7.5%).
• Checked for foreign matter content (must be less than 1%) and for
bean size (must be less than 1000 beans per kg).
• Given a cut test in which beans are cut down the middle in a
special tray to show the inner colour of the nibs (see the photos
below).
• Checked for flats, double, broken or germinated beans (content
must be less than 5%).
• Checked for mould or insect damage (must be less than 5%).
If the bag of beans meets all the above quality standards, the CQA
issues a ‘Quality Assessor’s Report: Exporter’s Acceptance’ in triplicate
- one copy goes to the grower or fermentary manager who can then
collect payment for the beans from the exporter.
Then an officer of the National Agricultural Quarantine Inspection
Authority (NAQIA) collects another sample of beans from each bag and
does the same tests as above – if the bag is deemed to be of export
quality it is stamped with a red triangle just below the mouth and
sealed with a metal tag with ‘PNG’ stamped on it and sent for export.
If a bag is rejected it is painted with a green stripe across the mouth
and can be sold only within Papua New Guinea.
A bag with incorrect weight, sewing or marking, or too much foreign
matter can be sent back to be corrected and then re-submitted.

104 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Cocoa bean quality as seen in a ‘cut test’ in which beans are cut
down the middle:

‘Slaty’ (unfermented)
Cut surface is slaty grey
Interior of shell remains
off-white
Flavour undesirable
Photo CCIL

Mouldy
Internal mould visi-
ble to naked eye
Over-fermented
Caused by insuffi- Results from too long
cient drying, storing fermentation or too slow
in a damp place or drying
allowing dry beans
External surface of beans
to get wet
dark brown or almost
Photo CCIL black
Cut surface dull dark
brown
Flavour objectionable
Photo CCIL

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 105

 Insect damage
Beans contain insects at
any stage of development or
signs of insect damage
Mainly caused by prolonged
storage
Photo CCIL

Fully fermented Forastero

(Amazonian) type
Open Texture
Chocolate brown colour of
cut surface
Photo CCIL

Fully fermented Criollo type

Is lighter brown then Forastero
Trinitario is a cross between Forastero and
Criollo and so beans can vary in colour; the
PNG hybrids are a cross between Trinitario and
Amazonian (Forastero) and these can also vary
in colour
Photo CCIL

106 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

 18: Diversification of Income
on a Cocoa Farm
Because cocoa grows well in the shade of other trees it can be com-
bined with other crops such as shade trees that produce a commercial
product or with food crops that can contribute to family nutrition or be
sold for extra farm income.

18a: Cocoa and Shade Trees

Coconuts have always been an important shade tree for cocoa and
can give added income as well as providing ideal shade for the cocoa.
Other shade will need to be provided while coconuts are growing tall
enough.

Cocoa under coconut

shade

Cocoa under betel nut shade – they

can be planted every second cocoa
tree

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 107

Cocoa under banana shade Cocoa under galip nut shade
Studies at LAES have shown that
galip nut trees at 40 trees per hect-
are are ideal shade for cocoa and a
valuable tree

18b: Cocoa, Other Crops and Food Crops

Some farmers are pulling out cocoa to plant other crops such as oil
palm.
This could be done by intensifying cocoa planting on a smaller part
of the block (e.g. 1 ha) while the rest of the block can be planted to oil
palm, which requires less looking after.
Often it is best to plant food crops and fruit and nut trees around the
edge of a cocoa planting; fruit and nut trees can grow very big and give
too much shade for cocoa and cocoa can shade out the food crops.
Peanuts can be used as a cover crop in cocoa and provide a food
source or extra income.

108 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Kalava (Ormocarpum orientale) is a valuable legume that can be used
as shade for cocoa (it is less aggressive than Gliricidia and so tends
not to over-shade the cocoa); its leaflets are a valuable human food,
especially in East New Britain, and can also be eaten by pigs and chick-
ens.
Cocoa growing can be combined with food crop production, either
during the early establishment of cocoa before the canopy has closed
or in a more permanent system of adjacent or alley cropping.

Growing cocoa as a smaller tree enables it to be combined with food cropping

– taro in this photo

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 109

Food crops being grown while Gliricidia and cocoa are being re-established af-
ter clearing an old cocoa block – note the old cocoa tree cut back to a stump
and regenerating chupons that can be top budded or grafted

110 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

18c: Cocoa and Livestock
Cocoa farming can be combined with animal production, especially of
a ruminant like goats that can eat weeds, Gliricidia branches, cocoa
prunings and cocoa pod waste.
• This greatly benefits cocoa production by encouraging weeding
and pruning of shade and cocoa trees to feed the goats.
• It also provides a valuable source of farm income and a source of
meat to augment human nutrition.
• Intensified pig, chicken and duck production could be combined
with cocoa farming to give some of the same benefits,

Penned goats feeding

on Gliricidia prunings

Gliricidia shade trees

heavily pruned to give
feed for goats
This is an incentive to
prune the shade trees
which in turn benefits
cocoa production

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 111

 19: Greater Involvement of
Women and Youth in Cocoa
Farming
Many aspects of the new cocoa management methods described
above make it easier for women and youth (the whole family) to be
involved in cocoa farming and share in its benefits.
Growing cocoa as a smaller, more easily managed tree will make it
easier for women and youth to contribute to its management.
The need to remove and bury every sick pod at least once per week
from every tree requires the attention of the whole family.
The new way of growing cocoa requires more constant light work like
that needed for food crops, but less hard or heavy work, which will
allow women and youth to be involved in its constant management
alongside food crops.
Combining cocoa growing with food cropping will assist the involve-
ment of women and youth because the crops will be nearby.
Use of solar driers requires more constant raking of the drying beans
and attention to the driers so that the plastic sides can be closed down
if it rains. If the driers are located near houses, women can handle this
work along with other chores.
Combining more intensive livestock farming with cocoa farming will
help women become involved in cocoa farming because they are often
in charge of livestock such as pigs and chickens.

112 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK

Make a chocolate drink from your own cocoa beans
In Central American countries, and the Philippines and Samoa, farmers make
a chocolate drink from their own cocoa beans using the following process:
• Take a batch of well fermented and dried cocoa beans and roast in an
oven or on a hot plate until the shells become loose (‘pop’) and almost
black – roasting is required to develop the full chocolate flavour
• Rub the shells off the hot beans while they are hot and collect the cotyle-
dons (‘nibs’)
• Pound and grind the nibs to a paste with a stone mortar and pestle (like
the ones used to prepare spices for Asian cooking) or use a hollow stone
as the mortar and a rounded one as the pestle; the longer the grinding
time the better the chocolate product (chocolate manufacturers use a
grinding machine - a ‘conche’ – to grind the cocoa beans for many hours
or evendays)
• For the Central American recipe, add sugar and keep grinding to make
a smooth sweet paste (the cocoa nibs are rich in cocoa fat and so the
paste should become fatty or oily with prolonged grinding)
• Make tablespoons of the paste into tablets and let set
• To make a delicious and nutritious drink, place a tablet in a saucepan of
water and boil until the cocoa and sugar are dissolved or well suspended
 Milk can be added if desired
• In Samoa, where they make a drink called ‘Koko Samoa’, the roasted
beans are ground without adding sugar and the cocoa mass is eventual-
ly solidified into a block in a plastic cup
• To make a drink, a tablespoon of cocoa mass is sliced or grated off this
block, added to boiling water in a saucepan with sugar, boiled for a while
until well suspended and then poured into a cup for drinking
These drinks are probably a little different from the drink originally consumed
by the Mayan and Aztec people in Central America, who didn’t have access
to cane sugar (which originated in Papua New Guinea); they mixed the cocoa
with maize flour and chile.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK 113

114 PAPUA NEW GUINEA C OC OA FARMER’S HANDBOOK