Geography Lesson: Cocoa Cultivation in Ghana

Overview

• Grade: VII
• Worksheet No.: 23
• Topic: Case Study - Cocoa Cultivation in Ghana
• Instructions: Solve at home, bring to school for discussion.

Key Questions and Answers

Q1: Choose the Correct Option

1. Cocoa Source: Obtained from cacao beans.
2. Cacao Tree Origin: Native to Central and South America (Statement I).
3. Labour Type for Cocoa: Skilled manual labor required.
4. Cacao Climate Requirements: Hot and wet climate.
5. Leftover Cocoa Kernels: Known as cocoa nibs.
6. Why Prune Cacao Trees?
   • Pruned to six meters for easy plucking of pods.
   • Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
7. Matching Terms:
   • Harmattan as a threat to cocoa.
   • Mid-crop season: May to July.
   • Germany: Imports cocoa from Ghana.
   • Dry season: September to January.
8. Decreased Cocoa Production in Ghana:
   • Incorrect statement: Due to government incentives and support.

Q2: Geographic Terms

• Cash-crop Agriculture: Crops planted for market selling/export.
• Evergreen Tree: Green all year long.
• Tumbadors: Cocoa pod pickers.
• Machete: Used to split cocoa pods.

Q3: Detailed Questions

• Cocoa Cultivation Conditions:
  • Hot and wet climate.
  • Mean temperature: ~27°C.
  • High, well-distributed rainfall (150 cm).
  • Loamy, well-drained soil.
• Cocoa Cultivation Process:
  • Forests cleared; trees left for shade.
  • Seeds grown in nurseries, transplanted in rows.
• Cocoa Triangle Regions: Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi.
• Cocoa Butter Production:
  • Cocoa nibs ground to powder, cocoa-butter melts from heat.
• Cocoa Processing Steps:
  1. Pods split; beans scooped out.
  2. Fermentation for 7 days with banana leaves.
  3. Beans washed, cleaned, dried, then processed.

Q4: Reasons for Statements

• Cocoa Grown Between Tall Trees:
  • Protection from sunlight and wind.
• Importance of Cocoa to Ghana:
  • Major cash crop, two-thirds of revenue.
  • Employment for 2 million people.
  • Funds infrastructural projects.
• Fermentation of Cocoa Beans:
  • Removes bitterness, prevents germination.
  • Develops chocolate flavor and color.
• Importance of Roasting:
  • Develops flavor and eases grinding.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of the process and importance of cocoa cultivation in Ghana, highlighting both the agricultural and economic aspects critical to understanding this topic in geography.