Healthy harvest seen of Ivory Coast cocoa main crop

Rainfall was below average last week in most of top grower Ivory Coast's cocoa regions but farmers said that soil moisture was still sufficient to support a healthy harvest when the main crop opens in October. Farmers said that small pods were developing well and that they hoped for a mix of rain and sunny spells to boost the quality of the crop and help it avoid disease.
Some traders, however, have said that bean quality and size have dropped off in recent weeks, causing local purchases to fall, while pod counters said they are concerned about the impact of heavy rains. In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers said harvesting for the October-to-March main crop was expected to begin a few weeks early in mid-September.
"All the planters are looking to the month of August. We will need good rainfall but above all lots of sun," said Tchorna Silue, who farms near the port city of San Pedro. "If all goes well in August, the big harvests will be concentrated between November and December," he said. Data collected by Reuters showed that in June in Soubre region soil moisture, as measured in the top 0-1.6 metres of soil, was 486.1 millimetres (mm), well above the five-year normal of 436.8 mm.
Rainfall in Soubre was at 1.2 mm last week, 16.8 mm below the five-year average, the data showed. In the centre-western region of Daloa, which accounts for a quarter of Ivory Coast's output, farmers warned that young pods could die if next month's weather was not favorable. "There are a lot of cherelles on the trees. The rain must not stop," said Amani Konan, who farms near the town of Daloa. "The beans for the main crop will be of good quality if there is sun and rain."
Data showed that rainfall in Daloa was 3.7 mm last week, 19.3 mm below the five-year average but soil moisture content was well above the five-year normal. In the eastern region of Abengourou, known for the high quality of its beans, farmers said good rains during next week would boost the quality and size of the crop.