Patchy rains and sun in most of Ivory Coast's cocoa growing regions last week helped development of this season's last pods, but more sun was needed to slow disease and maximise the start of the next season in October, farmers and analysts said on Monday.
Ivory Coast is the world's top grower of the main ingredient in chocolate, accounting for about a third of global supply, and volumes of cocoa reaching port this season are running about two percent below last year, exporters say. In the western growing region of Soubre, at the heart of Ivory Coast's cocoa belt, farmers said no rain fell last week and the weather was sunny.
But they added the last pods of the mid-crop were threatened by black pod disease that had already spread across several plantations during rainy weather in recent weeks. "Black pod is starting to spread in lots of plantations," said farmer Salam Kone. "The end of this season's mid-crop could be difficult since there isn't much cocoa as a result of this disease." Similar growing conditions were reported in eastern region of Abengourou, which is known for its good quality of beans.
In southern regions of Aboisso, Divo and Agboville farmers reported some light rains mixed with sun. "There was sun and brief spells of light rain," said farmer Etienne Yao, who farms near Aboisso. "We need lots of sun in August to trigger enough flowering and to maintain good conditions for a healthy start to the next season," he said. In the centre-western region of Daloa, producer of a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers said no rain fell last week and farmers were looking ahead to next season. "We had lots of sun, but no rain. That is always good for the beans of the mid-crop," said farmer Attoungbre Kouame.
"In two weeks we won't be talking about the mid-crop but the next main crop. We need, from now on, lots of rain and lots of sun each week. If there is not enough sunshine we will not have enough cocoa in October," he said. In the coastal region of Sassandra, farmers reported one light rain and analyst said the start of the forthcoming main crop depended on the sun in this month of August.
"Sunshine during August will be crucial for the main crop. We need just a bit of water and a lot of sun so that we can have lots of cocoa in the first two months of the main crop," said analyst Lassene Traore. Meteorologists predicted a mix of sun and rain next week.