Cocoa productivity in South Bahia

Abstract

The productivity of cocoa in southern Bahia has faced significant challenges over the years. Cocoa production in the region has experienced a substantial decline due to pests, diseases, and climate change, particularly the witches’ broom disease caused by the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa. Bahia, once the leading cocoa producer in Brazil, has seen its production drop significantly, resulting in a product deficit and the need for imports to supply industries. The analysis of production, harvested area, and cocoa productivity in the Intermediate Geographic Region of Ilhéus-Itabuna from 1974 to 2021 revealed a declining trend. Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) was used to identify spatial association patterns in cocoa productivity. Cocoa bean production fell by 64.97% in the region, with the largest declines recorded in the Ilhéus/Itabuna and Camacan IGREs. The harvested area also decreased, especially in the Ilhéus/Itabuna IGRE, and the average cocoa productivity showed a sharp decline. The witches’ broom crisis, climate change, reduced technical assistance, and competition with new production centers are some of the factors that contributed to this decline. Exploratory spatial data analysis indicated the presence of positive spatial autocorrelation, revealing a tendency for spatial clustering of productivities. Investments in research, technologies, and technical assistance are essential to reverse this trend and improve cocoa productivity in the region.