Rains last week in Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions were mainly below average but good levels of soil moisture could support the crop if the Harmattan winds remain mild, farmers said on Monday. Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, is in the dry season which runs from mid-November to March, when downpours are scarce and poor. Several farmers reported the arrival of the cool, dry Harmattan wind - but added that it was currently mild. The Harmattan winds carry Saharan sands and damage crops.
"There's sun and Harmattan at the moment but it's not too much of a drama yet," said Salame Kone, who farms in the outskirts of the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt. "The soil is nicely humid. But whether we're going to have rich pickings and high quality from February will depend on how the Harmattan develops," he added.
Data collected by Reuters showed the soil moisture content in November in Soubre region was at 516.4 millimetres, above the normal of 402.5 mm. But rainfall last week in Soubre region, which includes Sassandra and San Pedro, was at 4.5 mm below its average of 7.9 mm. In the eastern region of Aboisso, including the region of Abengourou known for the good quality of its beans, farmers said a mix of sun and rain would strengthen the size of beans.
"If we have a little rain this week, the beans are going to be big until the end of February," said Cyrille Aka, who farms near Aboisso. Data collected by Reuters showed rainfall was at 12.6 mm, 2.9 mm above average for this time of year in Aboisso.
Meanwhile, there was no rain in Daloa, which normally averages 4.5 mm. Rainfall last week in the southern region of Divo was at 1 millimetre, 7.9 mm below average. Rainfall in the southern region of Agboville was 9.8 mm, 1.2 mm below average.
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