Cocoa Production.pdf

Cocoa, Theobroma cacao L, is a crop of great economic importance, cultivated by over 2 million producers in more than 50 countries, with Mexico being a significant producer, mainly in the southeast states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. There are three genetic types of cocoa: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario, with Forastero being the most resistant to diseases and widely cultivated. In Mexico, efforts are made to collect, conserve, and use native cocoas to identify and conserve diversity, with the aim of obtaining varieties with quality and tolerance to diseases. Native cocoas in Mexico have distinct morphological characteristics, such as fruit shape, color, and size, and are found in isolated areas with high humidity, making them difficult to propagate. These native cocoas have potential for future generations, with qualities such as tolerance to water stress, yield, quality, aroma, and growth, and conservation, propagation, and promotion of their use are necessary to empower producers and outsiders.