More sun needed in Ivory Coast cocoa regions to boost main crop, farmers say

ABIDJAN, Aug 3 (Reuters) – More sunny weather is needed across most of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions to support the September-to-February main crop, farmers said on Monday, after below-average rainfall ​and a cooling spell last week.

• The world’s top cocoa ‌producer is currently in its rainy season, which typically runs from April to mid-November.

• Several farmers across the country said the soil moisture content was still high enough to support tree development for several weeks.

• Farmers said prospects at ‌the ​moment were promising, but warned that without ⁠proper application of fertilisers and ⁠pesticides in plantations this month, fruits would die and reduce the expectation of a good crop.

• “It can get very cold at times. Now is the time to treat the crops, otherwise there ​will be significant losses,” said Kouassi Kouame, who farms near the western region of Soubre, where 0.6 mm of rain fell ⁠last week, 11.6 mm below the five-year ⁠average.

• Farmers in the southern regions of Agboville ​and Divo and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were ​below average, said plenty of fruits were still proliferating on ‌the trees.

• If the weather remained favorable until September, harvesting for the main crop would start to be abundant from mid-October until December at least, they said.

• In the west-central region of Daloa, and ⁠in the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, also with below-average rains, farmers said plantations have yielded well, but more rains in September could ⁠jeopardize the crop’s ‌development, with incidence of disease.

• “Many fruits are growing ⁠in size, promising a bountiful harvest. However, if there ​is ‌heavy rain in September, there will be a ​risk of ⁠disease in the plantations,” said Albert N’Zue, who farms near Daloa, where 2.4 mm fell last week, 17 mm below the five-year average.

• Weekly temperatures across Ivory Coast ranged between 24.4 and 27.4 degrees Celsius (75.9 and 81.3 degrees Fahrenheit).

(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Amindeh Blaise Atabong ​and Jan Harvey)