The world's largest producer... Rainfall increases the challenges of cocoa farming in Ivory Coast

Rainfall was below average in most of Ivory Coast's cocoa-growing regions last week, and farmers said on Monday they needed more rain to improve the quality of cocoa beans for the average harvest season, which runs from March to August.

Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer, is experiencing its rainy season, which officially runs from April to mid-November. Farmers across the country reported that the weather is not threatening the trees, which are bearing a good mix of small, medium, and large pods, but said more rain is needed to improve the average harvest, according to Reuters.

Ivory Coast: The world's largest producer of cocoa

The farmers expressed satisfaction with the conditions so far, adding that the harvest process was beginning to improve. They said that many more pods would be harvested from the cacao trees between May and July.

In the Daloa region of west-central Ivory Coast, and in the Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro regions in the center, rainfall was below average last week. However, farmers said the heat was helping the already harvested cocoa beans to dry out.

Albert Nzoi, a farmer near Dalua, where 9.7 millimeters of rain fell last week, 11.9 millimeters less than the five-year average, said: “It’s very hot, the grain is completely dry, but the trees need enough rain for the rest of the average harvest season.”.

rainwater

In the western Soubri and eastern Abenguru regions, where rainfall was above average, and in the southern Agboville and Devau regions, where rainfall was below average, farmers said that regular and heavy rainfall was needed to improve the quality and size of the cocoa beans growing inside the cocoa pods that will be harvested in the coming weeks.

Kwasi continued: “We need plenty of consistent rain to grow large, high-quality grains. Last week we had 28.6 mm of rain, which is 6.2 mm more than the five-year average.”.