Patchy rain and hot temperatures across most of Ivory Coast's cocoa-growing regions last week aided the development of the mid-crop but fears persisted of a poor, late harvest in some areas, farmers and analysts said on Monday. The West African nation is in its dry season, which runs from mid-November to March and generally features sporadic rain. Farmers say plantations need about one significant shower per week in March to prevent a drop in quality during the first months of the mid-crop.
Farmers said harvesting of the mid-crop - officially marketed from April to September - is expected to start late this month in many regions and accelerate in May and June. Cocoa futures were little changed early on Monday as the market remained underpinned by an expected global deficit in the 2013/14 season.
ICE May cocoa futures were up $3, or 0.1 percent, at $2,984 per tonne as the market continued to hold just below a 2-1/2-year high of $3,002 set last month. May cocoa futures on Liffe rose 5 pounds ($8.36), or 0.3 percent, to 1,861 pounds a tonne. In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of Ivory Coast's cocoa belt, an analyst reported no rainfall last week after 31 millimetres (mm) the previous week. Soubre farmer Salam Kone said there had generally been good weather for pods in recent weeks. "There will be harvesting before the end of this month," said Kone.
In the western region of Gagnoa, an analyst reported 45 mm of rainfall last week, compared with 53 mm the previous week. "It's going well on the plantations. Most of the harvesting will take place between June and August," said Eugene Sery, who farms near Gagnoa. In the western region of Duekoue, farmers reported one heavy shower. "There are some plantations which are already full of nearly ripe pods. Harvesting will begin in 10 days or so," said Duekoue-based farmer and co-operative manager Amara Kone. Similar growing conditions were reported in the western regions of Man and Meagui as well as in the southern regions of Aboisso, Divo and Agboville.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, known for the high quality of its beans, farmers reported no rain for the second consecutive week. In the coastal region of San Pedro, farmers reported one heavy downpour during the week compared with one light shower the previous week. "The soil is still dry because the dry season was hard. We need several more showers. But the mid-crop will be poor and will start very late," said San Pedro farmer Labbe Zoungrana.