This mission was used to provide scientific support to the Cocoa Research Unit (CRU) for activities related to witches' broom disease, for assessing the progress made in the activities since my last visit in March 2005, and laying the foundations for action to be taken in the 2005/06 season. The activities of the witches' broom prebreeding programme under the CFC project have proceeded according to the timetable. However, we regret the loss of a large number of plants (around 50%) after the inoculations in March 2005 (inoculation of 1030 plants belonging to 25 crosses). The second series of inoculations for this first prebreeding cycle was launched during this visit in June 2005 (plants grown from 44 pods, and 20 crosses). As the shoots were not all synchronous, 2 other inoculation operations have been scheduled for the end of June and beginning of July. In preparation for the second prebreeding cycle, the clones chosen from the International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad, were checked in the field (31 clones) and the trees to be used for pollination have been selected. CRU has received official approval from the Ministry of Agriculture to use the international clone trial in connection with developing ways to assess cocoa tree resistance to witches' broom. The plots were inspected to select the trees that will be used during the 2005/06 season. Trials in which young cherelles were sprayed were conducted to optimize the amount of inoculum used, with a view to developing a test to screen for cocoa tree resistance on pods. The next support mission is scheduled for October 2005.