British official photographs of the Gold Coast, where cocoa was introduced in the middle and latter part of the nineteenth century, now the world's largest producer, between 200,000 and 250,000 tons annually.

The farms are generally small; averaging under two acres, though some owners may have 100 acres or more. The farms are made in forest country with no well defined boundaries. Towards harvest time at the end of September, the farmer collects the ripe pods, breaks them, and ferments the beans inside. Fermenting is an important process, as badly fermented beans affect the flavour of the final cocoa product. The African farmer usually ferments his cocoa in heaps on the ground covered by plantain or banana leaves. Turning of the heap is necessary but is often neglected. The beans are dried, sold to brokers who sell to shipping firms. The beans may need re-drying at the firm's collecting centre, and are then bagged to a standard weight - 140 lbs - for shipment.