Ivorian cocoa farmers fear lack of rain could affect mid-crop
Farmers in centre-western region of Daloa expect smaller beans from lower rainfall
Abidjan — Below-average rainfall in Ivory Coast last week could affect cocoa production, farmers said on Tuesday, as good soil moisture content mitigated the effect of dry weather in several growing regions. The rainy season in the world’s top cocoa producer runs from mid-March to late October, with heavy showers expected to begin in April. Farmers up country said harvests for the April-to-September mid-crop had picked up despite the lack of rain, and that drying conditions were good. They said large volumes of beans were expected to leave the bush in May and June. In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers said soil moisture content was sustaining their crops and that trees were laden with varying sized pods. “The trees are doing well. We still have a lot of harvesting to do,” said Kouassi Kouame, who farms near Soubre. “If rains are good in May and June, the beans will grow a lot around August.” Data collected by Reuters showed rainfall in Soubre, wh...
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