Ivory Coast farmers optimistic for strong cocoa main crop

ABIDJAN, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Farmers in Ivory Coast’s main cocoa growing regions said on Monday they were upbeat about the next October-to-March main crop which was boosted by light intermittent rains last week.

The world’s top cocoa producer is in its rainy season, which runs officially from April to mid-November.

Last week, rains were below average, farmers said, creating good conditions.

Farmers said cocoa trees carried a mix of flowers and small, average and big pods, which showed that harvesting would be strong until at least December.

Almost ripe big pods are expected to be harvested from September, which would allow the April-to-September mid-crop to produce a strong finish, they said.

In the western region of Soubre, in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were below average last week, farmers said harvesting of the main crop would start stronger in October than last year thanks to well-developed pods on trees.

Farmers said if rains mixed with good sunny spells remained regular in September and October, there would be no shortage of cocoa until January at least.

“There is already some harvesting going on. But it will be more important from next month,” said Emile Goua, who farms near Soubre, where 2.8 millimetres (mm) fell last week, 9.4 mm below the five-year average.

Farmers from the west-central region of Daloa and the central region of Yamoussoukro, where rains were below average last week, and farmers from the central region of Bongouanou, where no rain fell last week, said the availability of beans in their regions would be better this season than last year.

Farmers there said they were happy with the level of sun that was helping the crop.

“There will be enough cocoa for the main crop. The trees are full of healthy pods,” said Albert N’Zue, who farms near Daloa, where 0.8 mm fell last week, 20.2 mm below the average.

Average temperatures across Ivory Coast ranged from 24.3 to 26.1 degrees Celsius over the past week. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Susan Fenton)

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