Heavy rain last week in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa-growing regions came as a welcome surprise during the dry season and will boost the April-to-September cocoa mid-crop, farmers said on Monday.
Downpours are rare during the November-to-March dry season in the world's top cocoa producer. Farmers said rain would boost growth of flowers and pods already on trees for the mid-crop. In the southern region of Aboisso, farmers reported hot weather and two good downpours last week.
"If we have more rain like this in February, we will start off the mid-crop with lots of beans," said Etienne Yao, who farms in the outskirts of Aboisso. In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers reported one heavy downpour. "We were really happy about this rain. It came at a moment when the trees needed more water," said Salame Kone, who farms near Soubre. "The soil moisture content will rise and the trees will produce lots of flowers so that the mid-crop is abundant." Rain and improving growing conditions were reported in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo, the western regions of Duekoue and Gagnoa, and in the eastern region of Abengourou. But in the centre-western region of Daloa, which accounts for about a quarter of national cocoa output, farmers reported only patchy rainfall and strong heat.