ABIDJAN: Regular rain mixed with sun in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa-growing regions will help produce a longer and larger main crop than last year, farmers said on Monday, despite lingering damage due to disease.
Harvesting and marketing of the October-to-March main crop is under way in the world's top cocoa producer.
Beans are drying in villages and growing numbers of cars are transporting them out of the countryside. There are already enough beans on the trees to ensure a good harvest until December, farmers said. Weather in the next few weeks will determine how the harvest fares in January and February.
In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers welcomed sunny spells last week which helped them properly dry the beans and avoid disease. "Lots of beans have been harvested and we were glad to have the sun to dry them," said Salame Kone, a farmer in the outskirts of Soubre.
"We will have fewer losses and disease if the sun continues along with the rain." Good growing conditions were also reported in the centre-western region Daloa, western region Gagnoa, and southern regions Aboisso, Agboville and Divo.
"There are more pods on the trees than in October of last year," farmer Denis Konan said. "If it rains until mid-November we'll have lots of good-quality beans until February." In the western region of Duekoue, where black pod disease has been spreading, some farmers remained optimistic.
"We have harvested a lot this month compared to last season. With what we can see on the trees, we will have a bigger harvest this year," said farmer Rene Sahi.
"There are some cases of black pod, but not a lot. With the sun coming out, we think everything will be OK."
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