Market News

ABIDJAN, May 4 (Reuters) – Below average rainfall in most of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions last week threatened the development of cocoa due to be harvested towards the end of the March-to-August mid-crop, farmers said on Monday.

The world’s top cocoa producer is in its rainy season, which runs from April to mid-November, and farmers said mid-crop harvesting was intensifying with robust volumes expected to leave the bush this month.

However, aside from in the western region of Soubre and the central region of Yamoussoukro where rains were above average, farmers said growing conditions were poor for the developing pods that will be harvested from July to August.

They blamed a lack of sufficient moisture that could lead to a tightness of supply in the final months of the mid-crop.

Some farmers said, due to current very hot conditions, if there are no abundant rains before mid-May, it could jeopardise small pods.

“Trees need more water to grow well,” said Leopold Kamenan, who farms near the eastern region of Abengourou, where 18.1 mm of rain fell last week, 6 mm below the five-year average.

Similar comments were reported in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo, where rains were also below average last week.

In the west-central region of Daloa and in the central region of Bongouanou, where rainfall was also below average, farmers said they feared the prolonged dry spell would affect the bean size.

“If there isn’t enough rain, the beans will be very small and of poor quality,” said Albert N’Zue, who farms near Daloa, where 16.4 mm of rain fell last week, 5.2 mm below the five-year average.