§ Mr. DawsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to(a) support Ivory Coast cocoa producers in efforts to deal with black pod disease and (b) support Brazilian cocoa producers in efforts to suppress the witches broom fungus and to preserve rainforests in which cacao trees grow; and if he will make a statement on the threatened world shortage of chocolate. [41370]
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§ Mr. RookerDespite the recent reports in the press, there is no evidence that black pod disease is adversely affecting cocoa production in the Ivory Coast. Nevertheless, a wide range of cocoa diseases are being tackled by the world-wide research programmes. The International Cocoa Organisation, of which the UK Government are an active member, is co-ordinating various projects aimed at combating cocoa diseases and addressing other difficulties affecting cocoa production. There is a specific project to fight witches broom disease in Brazil.