Rains in most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa regions fell below average last week, according to farmers. However, they remain optimistic about the upcoming October-to-March main crop, hoping for increased rainfall and sunshine in the coming months to boost its duration and size.
The country, the world’s largest cocoa producer, is currently in its rainy season, which officially runs from April to mid-November. Despite the recent rainfall deficit, farmers across Ivory Coast report a promising start to the harvesting season, with plenty of pods ripening on trees.
To ensure a bountiful and high-quality main crop, farmers emphasize the need for more rain and sunny spells in September and October. While a recent wave of cool weather has persisted, it has not caused any noticeable damage to plantations.
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 rainfall was above average, farmers anticipate a strong finish to the April-to-September mid-crop in September due to abundant bean production. They also express confidence in a robust start to the main crop in October.
“If it rains normally in the next two months with a lot of sunshine, we will have a lot of beans from October until February,” said Kouassi Kouame, a farmer near Soubre.
In the central and western regions of Daloa, Yamoussoukro, and Bongouanou, farmers report that the main crop harvest will likely begin earlier than last season, with some areas already starting to harvest.
“There are already harvests. From the end of September, the planters will have a lot of beans to sell,” said Etienne Kacou, a farmer near Daloa.
The weekly average temperature in Ivory Coast ranged from 24 to 26 degrees Celsius.