Poor rains in Ivory Coast raise concerns over cocoa quality and supply, farmers say - TimesLIVE

Rainfall was below average last week in most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa-growing regions, and farmers said on Monday that dry conditions could threaten the development of small pods due to be harvested next year during the September-to-February main crop.

The world’s top cocoa producer is now in its rainy season, which typically runs from April to mid-November and is usually marked by abundant, often heavy rainfall.

Farmers across the country said conditions for the main crop were becoming a concern. A new wave of small pods, to be harvested next year, is suffering from a lack of moisture, with some falling from the trees, they said.

They warned that the situation could become alarming if dry weather persists until mid-October.

“If rains are not regular before mid-October, harvesting for the main crop will end in December,” said Kouassi Kouame, a farmer near the western town of Soubre, where no rain fell last week.

Farmers in the southern region of Agboville, the eastern region of Abengourou and the southern region of Divo reported similar conditions. Rainfall was sharply below average in Agboville and Abengourou, while no rain fell in Divo last week.

Farmers in those regions said harvesting was expected to increase significantly from next week through December. They also expressed concern about the quality of beans being harvested, saying overcast conditions were preventing the beans from drying properly.

In the west-central region of Daloa, where rainfall was also below average, farmers said good rain early on Monday raised hopes of more regular precipitation this week.

“It rained well this morning. We hope it continues,” said Jules Kouassi, a farmer near Daloa, where 3.6mm of rain fell last week, 26.1mm below the average.

Farmers in the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro said more rain was needed to support the crop as harvesting gathers pace.