Heavy rains to slash Nigeria's cocoa output by 10 percent

Weak yield from Nigeria's cocoa main crop harvest led to a drop in country's overall output for the 2017/18 season with heavy rains in some regions and aging trees partly to blame, an industry body told Reuters. Total output for the season is expected to come in between 250,000 tonnes and 260,000 tonnes, compared with a growth of about 320,000 tonnes forecast at the start of the season, Sayina Riman, president of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), said.
The output is lower than 290,000 tonnes, revised during the mid-crop season where a healthy mix of rainfall and sunshine had boost optimism after a draught. The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has forecast the output at 260,000 tonnes for 2017/18 season.