Lack of rain, heat stress Ivory Coast cocoa farmers

Farmers in the majority of Ivory Coast's cocoa growing regions said on Monday they were concerned about the absence of appropriate rains and the heat, which could weigh on the development of the OctobertoMarch primary crop.

The world's top cocoa producer is in its dry season which runs from mid-November to March, when downpours are limited.

Farmers in practically all regions other than the western among Soubre, where rainfall was well above average, and Abgoville in the south, where rains were a little second-rate, stated the weather could hurt little pods that will be harvested in February and March.

Farmers in main areas stated the quality of beans would be poor from February. They included that the strength of the dry Harmattan wind, which generally sweeps in from the Sahara desert between December and March, differed last week as it was in some cases strong and the other times mild.

They included the wind, which can dry the soil and damage cocoa pods, making them smaller sized, did not trigger any damage to plantations.

Rains are limited and it's very hot. We're fretted about what's to come, stated Arthur Brou, who farms near the west-central region of Daloa, where 0.2 millimetres of rain fell last week, 4 mm listed below the five-year average.

Comparable remarks were reported in the main region of Bongouanou, where rainfall was bad, and in the central region of Yamoussoukro, where no rain fell last week.

Farmers in Soubre and Agboville said harvesting would be plentiful in January.

Lots of beans will leave the bush in January, stated Salame Kone, who farms near Soubre, where 16.4 mm of rain fell last week, 6.8 mm above the five-year average.

In the southern region of Divo and the eastern region of Abengourou farmers said from late December their focus will be switching from the primary crop to the mid-crop.

Typical temperatures across the West African nation last week varied from 27.9 to 28.9 degrees Celsius.

(source: Reuters)