Cocoa purchases declared to Ghana's industry regulator stood at 547,223 tonnes by December 29 from the start of the 2016/17 season on October 1, little changed from a year earlier, Cocobod data seen by Reuters showed on Monday. Purchases in Ghana, the world's second-biggest producer of cocoa, were up just 0.08 percent from 546,789 tonnes in the first 13 weeks of the previous season.
Ghana produced 778,043 tonnes of cocoa in the 2015/16 season and aims to increase that to 850,000-900,000 tonnes this season. Officials say they are optimistic about achieving the higher total despite the output so far. This is because the annual dry Harmattan wind that runs between December and March and can stunt the light crop in the second part of the season is less severe this season than last.
"The weather is not a worry to us for now because the Harmattan is easing. We believe the early morning dew will be enough to freshen up the pods, especially those that had survived beyond the development stage," said an official. "Our only worry is about the cherelles (developing pods) which need enough rains to survive," said the official, who declined to be identified. Total purchases for the week to December 29 amounted to 36,795 tonnes, the official said.
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