Fungal black pod disease is spreading in key cocoa growing regions as the new main crop harvest opens in top producer Ivory Coast, farmers said on Monday, though abundant rainfall and sunshine is supporting crop development elsewhere. The marketing season in Ivory Coast opened officially on October 1, with a guaranteed farmgate price of 700 CFA francs ($1.27) per kg set by the government.
Daloa, responsible for about a quarter of national output, has been hardest hit by black pod. "With the latest rains, there will be a lot of losses, because there are a lot of well developed pods on the trees," said Raphael Kouadio, who farms near Daloa. The Daloa region, which also includes Bouafle, received 126 mm of rainfall, 96.8 mm more than the average level for the period, according to data collected by Reuters.
Some cases of the fungal black pod disease have also been reported in the southern region of Aboisso. But conditions are better in the region of Soubre, in the heart of the western cocoa belt. "We got good sunshine this week," said Kouassi Kouame, who farms in the outskirts of the town of Soubre. "There are lots of pods and cherelles on the trees. If the sunshine continues, there will be a very abundant harvest in the months ahead."
The Soubre region, which includes San Pedro and Sassandra, saw 44.3 mm of precipitation, or 22.9 mm above average. "In two weeks, there will be big delivers to the buyers warehouses," said Amadou Diallo, who farms in the Divo region, where 39.7 mm of rain fell last week, 15.2 mm above the average. The Man region, along the western border with Liberia, meanwhile, saw rainfall totalling 52.3 mm last week, 19.2 mm above average.
Good growing conditions were also reported in the western regions of Duekoue and Gagnoa, in the southern regions of Agboville and Tiassale and in the eastern region of Abengourou. Average temperatures ranging from 25.8 to 27.2 degrees are expected for Ivorian cocoa regions in the week to come.