Weather varied in Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions last week, with light rain that would boost the crop in some areas and strong heat causing concern about bean size in others, farmers said on Monday. The dry season in the world's top cocoa producer runs from mid-November to March, during which downpours are scarce. Scattered rain last week in some regions would help the development of the April-September mid-crop, farmers said.
"The weather is good and fruit is growing on the trees," said Etienne Yao, who farms in the southern region of Aboisso.
"We think the mid-crop will be good compared to last season because the soil is not as dry," he added. Last year the Harmattan, a seasonal dry wind that blows in from the Sahara, was particularly severe.
In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers reported hot weather with no rain.
"It didn't rain but everything is going well," said Emile Kouame, who farms near Soubre.
"There are lots of flowers on the trees because the dryness isn't severe. We could have lots of cocoa at the start of the mid-crop," he said.
Farmers were also optimistic about growing conditions in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo, the western regions of Duekoue and Gagnoa and the southwestern regions of San Pedro and Sassandra. But in the centre-western region of Daloa, which accounts for about a quarter of national cocoa output, it did not rain and farmers said that there would be problems with bean size and yield if the heat remained high.
"The beans are starting to become small. Buyers are going to ask us to sort through them before sale, (which) will create losses," said Albert N'Zue, who farms near Daloa.
"The heat is strong. If it continues for two more weeks, lots of flowers are going to turn yellow and die," he added.