Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions received light rains last week, brightening prospects for the October-to-March main crop, farmers said on Monday, noting that harvesting is intensifying ahead of its peak in December.
The world’s top cocoa producer is in its dry season, which runs from mid-November to March, when heavy downpours are scarce.
Farmers reported that above-average rainfall across the country helped many small and average pods grow before the seasonal dry Harmattan wind, which typically blows from the Sahara between December and March.
They also said they expect more beans to ripen in December than in November, as many pods on trees are nearly mature. Buyers, they added, are pleased with the current quality of beans, according to Reuters
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In the west-central region of Daloa, where rainfall was consistent with the five-year average, and in the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, where rains were above average, farmers said the weather would support cocoa trees through the dry season.
They noted that light or average rains could extend and increase the main crop compared with last year.
“The rains are helping the trees, but we still need rain until mid-December because it is very hot,” said Donatien Adou, who farms near Yamoussoukro, where 17.6 mm of rain fell last week—8 mm above the five-year average.
In the western region of Soubre and the southern regions of Agboville and Divo, where rainfall was below average, and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were above average, farmers said they hope the rains continue until late December.
“There is a lot of cocoa right now, and we think there will be a lot of harvest until next year,” said Salame Kone, who farms near Soubre, where 7.6 mm of rain fell last week, 12.3 mm below the average.
Weekly average temperatures across Ivory Coast last week ranged from 26.5 to 29.9 degrees Celsius (79.7 to 85.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Image Credit: CNBC Africa
