More Rains Needed To Boost Ivory Coast Cocoa Mid-Crop

Ivory Coast’s April-to-September cocoa mid-crop will need more rain to strengthen the last stage of its development after most cocoa regions had well below average rainfall last week, farmers said.

Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producer, is currently in its rainy season, which runs from mid-March to late October when there are meant to be regular downpours.

Data collected by Reuters showed that rainfall was 23.8 millimetres (mm) last week in the eastern cocoa growing region of Abengourou, 19.5 mm below the five-year average.

Across the country, several farmers said they were satisfied with the volume of pods currently harvested in the bush. Some farmers said the mid-crop would peak in June in their region.

ESM