Farmers in Ivory Coast are optimistic for increased rainfall to enhance their cocoa harvest
Last week, rainfall was primarily below average across most cocoa-growing regions in Ivory Coast. Farmers reported on Monday that additional moisture is necessary to enhance the quality of beans for the mid-crop season from March to August.
Ivory Coast, the leading cocoa producer globally, is currently experiencing its rainy season, which officially spans from April to mid-November.
Farmers interviewed by Reuters across the nation indicated that the weather was not jeopardizing trees that produced a favorable variety of small, average, and large pods. Nevertheless, additional rainfall was necessary to enhance the mid-crop.
Farmers expressed their satisfaction with the current conditions and noted that harvesting has begun to gain momentum. It was mentioned that numerous pods would be harvested from cocoa trees during the period from May to July.
In the west-central area of Daloa and the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, rainfall was below average last week. Farmers noted that the heat was beneficial for drying the beans that had already been harvested.
Farmers expressed their anticipation for increased precipitation in the upcoming weeks, noting the frequent cloud cover in the sky. “It’s very hot.” “The beans are adequately dried, but the trees require sufficient rain for the remainder of the mid-crop season,” stated Albert N’Zue, a farmer near Daloa, where 9.7 millimeters (mm) of rain was recorded last week, falling 11.9 mm short of the five-year average.
In the western area of Soubre and the eastern area of Abengourou, where there was more rain than usual, and in the southern areas of Agboville and Divo, where there was less rain, farmers said they need regular and enough rain to improve the quality and size of the beans growing in the cocoa pods that will be harvested soon. “We require ample, steady rain to cultivate large, high-quality beans,” stated Kouassi Kouame, a farmer near Soubre, where 28.6 mm of rain was recorded last week, surpassing the five-year average by 6.2 mm.
Last week, the weekly average temperatures in Ivory Coast varied between 29 and 33.2 degrees Celsius (84 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit).
