Rains boost Ivorian cocoa crop

Ivory Coast's main cocoa-growing regions enjoyed good rains mixed with sunny spells last week, boosting the development of the main cocoa crop, but there were signs of black pod disease in some areas, farmers said on Monday. Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa grower, recorded its biggest ever crop last year and harvesting of the 2011/12 cocoa main crop (October-March) is under way.
Arrivals at ports reached 28,665 tonnes by October 16, down from 41,439 tonnes in the same period a year ago, according to data from regulator Bourse du Cafe et Cacao (BCC) obtained by Reuters on Monday. In the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers said it had almost rained but there had been good sunny spells, so the balance was good for the main crop. "Overall, it is going well. We will have lots of cocoa and the harvest will last long because as there are still lots of green pods on the trees," said farmer Marcel Aka, who farms in the outskirts of Daloa.
However, Aka warned of growing signs of black pod disease. "Last week I saw lots of farmers buying chemical products to treat the black pod. That means that there are problems in places," he added. In the eastern region of Abengourou, an analyst reported 22 millimetres of rain compared with 68 mm the previous week. However, farmers said there had been more rain this October than during the same stage last year, adding that they were also suffering from the fungal disease.
"There is lots of black pod on the farms, especially in the low-lying areas because it has rained non-stop all October," said farmer Marcellin N'Da, who farms near Abengourou in a region known for the good quality of its beans. In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers reported several downpours interspersed with sun that should bolster the main crop "We had a good balance of rain and sun. The trees are full of big pods. There are lots of workers on the farms. We heading towards an abundant harvest," said farmer Koffi Kouame. In the coastal region of Sassandra, an analyst reported 36 mm of rain compared with 54 mm the week before.