Recent rains raise Ivory Coast farmers' hopes for cocoa pod development

Above-average rainfall last week in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa-growing regions is set to boost the development of pods for the final stage of the April to September mid-crop, farmers said on Monday.

The world's top cocoa producer is in its rainy season, which runs from April to mid-November, when rains are abundant and often heavy.

Farmers across the cocoa regions said they were expecting regular rainfall until late June, which would boost tree yields, resulting in a plentiful harvest from mid-August to late September.

Growers said mid-crop harvesting was accelerating and the availability of well-dried beans from the bush rising, with buyers representing local grinders remaining active in the area.

However, weekly arrivals at the country's two main ports between May 12 and May 18 fell sharply, with the drop attributed to buyers rejecting more beans because of poor quality.

Farmers in the southern Agboville and Divo regions and Abengourou in the east, where last week's rains were above average, and Soubre in the west, where rainfall was below average, predict an increase in cocoa bean yield from August to September compared to the same period last year, provided the weather remains favourable until late June.

"There are many small pods on the trees," said Justin Kablan, a farmer in Abengourou, known for its high-quality beans. Last week, the area received 53.4mm of rainfall, 22mm above the five-year average.

Farmers in the central-western region of Daloa, which saw below-average rainfall last week, and in the central areas of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, where rains were above average, expected favourable weather until at least late June.

They said this could offset the current weak yields and boost output from August.

"If it continues to rain well, the trees will be filled with large pods from August," said Roger Messan, who farms near Bongouanou, where 36.6mm fell last week, 11.4mm above the five-year average.

The weekly average temperature ranged from 26.6°C to 30.3°C.

Reuters