ABIDJAN: No rain fell in most of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions last week, farmers said on Monday, adding that more moisture was needed to boost development of the March-to-August mid-crop.
Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producer, is in its rainy season, which runs officially from April to mid-November.
Rains are usually abundant during this period. Farmers across the country said they hoped for sunshine during this month. Many cocoa pods of various sizes are currently on the trees, and more rains are needed to boost their growth between May and August, they said.
They also said that harvesting, which is currently modest, was expected to pick up from next month. “We need enough rain. Harvests will increase starting in May,” said Jean Akou, who farms near the western region of Soubre, where no rain fell last week, which is 18.9 mm below the five-year average.
Similar comments were reported in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo, where no rain fell last week, and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were below average. In the west-central region of Daloa and in the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, where no rainfall fell last week, cocoa growers said the soil moisture was becoming unsuitable for farming.
“We need rain. The ground is getting drier and drier,” said Arsene Kan, who farms near Daloa, where no rain fell, which is 21 mm below the five-year average. Weekly average temperatures across Ivory Coast last week ranged from 28.7 to 32.7 degrees Celsius (84 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit).