ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Soil moisture compensated for below average rainfall and high temperatures in some of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions last week, while heavier rain in other regions boosted the October-to-March main crop, farmers said on Monday.
The world’s top cocoa producer is moving into its dry season, which runs from mid-November to March, when rains are poor and scarce.
Some regions experienced dryer weather than usual last week as the rainy season tapers off, while downpours were heavier in others.
Several farmers said trees were loaded with pods of different sizes that would be harvested in early February.
They hoped for more rainfall before the start of the dry season to increase soil moisture content.
Harvests were picking up and more beans would leave the bush from mid-November to late December, the farmers said, adding that they expected higher yields than last season.
“The (cocoa) trees have no problem because the weather is good. More trucks will be loaded (this season) because harvests will be more abundant in a week,” said Camille Goua, who farms near the western region of Soubre, where 15.8 millimetres (mm) fell last week, 8.4 mm below the five-year average.
Rain was also below average in the southern region of Divo, but above average in the southern region of Agboville and the eastern region of Abengourou, where farmers said they were happy with the quality and size of beans.
In the centre-western region of Daloa and the central region of Yamoussoukro – where rains were below the average – and in the central region of Bongouanou – where rains were above average – farmers said harvests would peak in December.
“If we have good rain this month trees will not suffer during the rainy season,” said Etienne Tiemele, who farms near Bongouanou, where 17.6 mm fell last week, 2.3 mm above average.
Several farmers said some cocoa beans from neighbouring Ghana had been delivered to Ivorian villages near the border.
Average temperatures ranged between 26.5 to 28.9 degrees Celsius last week.
(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
