New varieties
In 2011, U. S. Agricultural Research Service scientists released nine new, high-yielding selections of Theobroma cacao. The new selections could offset some disease losses because they yield more beans than current varieties. About 30 to 40 percent of the world's cacao production is lost each year, mostly through fungal diseases and pests such as black pod, witches' broom, frosty pod rot and the cocoa pod borer.