Light rains, Harmattan mixed for Ivorian cocoa mid-crop

Dusty Saharan winds hampered cocoa crop development in Ivory Coast last week, though some light rain provided respite for the main crop, farmers said on Monday. The 2017/18 season in the world's top cocoa producer opened on October 1 and the West African nation is in the midst of the dry season, which runs from mid-November to March. Farmers said their focus was beginning to shift to the April-to-September mid crop.
Rainfall was higher than in the previous week, when plantations received no downpours, but the desert Harmattan winds were stronger. The Harmattan sweeps down from the Sahara from December to March, blowing dust that can ravage pods and reduce the size of beans by sapping soil moisture.
"This cannot last. We have had some moisture, and trees can survive the impacts of the Harmattan, but we need rain before the end of this month," said N'Dri Kouao, who farms in Niable, on the Ghanaian border. He said he feared the spread of fires, as some farmers burn off bush when the weather is too dry. In the eastern region of Abengourou, which is known for the quality of its beans, farmers reported a strong Harmattan compared with the previous week and said the main crop was tailing off. "The harvest is ongoing, but the size of harvests will fall after the end of this month," said Kouao.
Data collected by Reuters showed rainfall in Abengourou region, including Aboisso, amounted to 1.2 millimeters last week, 1.8 below average. In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers said Harmattan winds last week would not affect the development of small pods.
"There are a few flowers on the trees, but we need more moisture to trigger good flowering for a strong start to the mid-crop season," said Lazare Ake, who farms near Soubre. "There are still many high-quality beans and several trucks in the bush to pick them up," said Ake.
Rain in the Soubre region, including Sassandra and San Pedro, totalled 5.7 mm last week, 2.1 mm above average. Farmers reported similar conditions in the centre-western region of Daloa, the southern region of Divo and in the central region of Yamoussoukro.