Dry climate threatens Ivory Coast cocoa crop, farmers say

Cocoa pods are pictured at a farm in Sinfra, Ivory Coast April 29, 2023.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

No rain fell final week in most of Ivory Coast’s primary cocoa areas and farmers mentioned on Monday (December 30, 2024) that the dry climate might harm bean high quality and tighten provide from February.

The world’s prime cocoa producer is within the dry season that runs from mid-November to March, when rainfall is low.

Farmers mentioned there have been sufficient pods on timber to be harvested in January, however from February the October-to-March primary crop would begin to tail off.

They mentioned they are going to begin monitoring the event of the April-to-September mid-crop from January.

Good rains are wanted to set off extra flowering and to assist them flip into small pods for a powerful begin of the mid-crop in April, farmers added.

Within the west-central area of Daloa and within the central areas of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, which had no rainfall final week, farmers mentioned they have been involved by the climate.

“We did not get a single drop of rain. It isn’t good for the top of the primary crop and the start of the mid-crop,” mentioned Faustin Konan, who farms close to Daloa, the place no rain fell final week, which is 3 millimetres (mm) under the five-year common.

Farmers in these areas mentioned the depth of the dry Harmattan wind had fallen in contrast with the earlier week.

The Harmattan wind, which often sweeps in from the Sahara desert between December and March, can dry the soil and hurt cocoa pods, making them smaller.

Within the western area of Soubre, within the southern areas of Agboville and Divo and within the japanese area of Abengourou, the place it did not rain final week, farmers mentioned if plantations acquired a great rainfall each 10 days in January, it might enhance the yield and the standard of beans from February.

“The climate may be very sizzling, so we’d like well-distributed rainfall in January for timber to provide properly,” mentioned Kouassi Kouame, who farms close to Soubre, the place 0 mm fell final week, 5.7 mm above the five-year common.

Common temperatures throughout the West African nation final week ranged from 26 to twenty-eight.2 levels Celsius.