A relatively mild Harmattan wind so far this cocoa growing season in Ghana could boost crops and help the country reach its production targets, farmers said on Tuesday. The Harmattan, a northerly wind that blows dust off the Sahara from December to March, last year dented the harvest in Ivory Coast and Ghana, respectively the world's top two cocoa growers.
Ghana's industry regulator Cocobod is aiming to produce 850,000-900,000 tonnes in the 2016-2017 season, which runs from October to September, up from 780,000 tonnes in 2015-2016. Ghana's president-elect Nana Akufo-Addo, who takes power on Saturday, aims to boost cocoa production above 1 million tonnes per season, through policy changes. "It is not that severe compared to previous years ... It is not having that much impact on the crop," said Samuel Antwi, a farmer in Ashanti region of central Ghana. Other growers across the country echoed Antwi's view. Ghana has hundreds of thousands of small-holder cocoa growers, making it difficult to survey opinion. Many told Reuters in November that they were concerned about the onset of the Harmattan.
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