Cocoa harvest forecasts in Côte d’Ivoire point to stable crop growth [World News]

Sufficient soil moisture promotes the development of a medium-sized crop

In the main cocoa-growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire, weather conditions are favourable for the development of the medium harvest, which runs from April to September. Although last week’s rainfall was lower than average, persistent soil moisture and cloudy weather are supporting fruit ripening. However, farmers are expressing cautious optimism – noting that excess cloud cover and lower rainfall may affect the quality of the grains, although no damage to plantations has yet been reported.

If the weather provides the right balance of sun and rain by the end of June, the final phase of the medium harvest could be successful. In regions such as Soubre, Agboville, Divo and Abengourou, significant volumes of grains are still expected to leave the plantations, although a decrease in the harvest rate is already predicted from July onwards.

The weather conditions in the second half of June and early July will be decisive

In the Daloa, Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro regions, farmers stress the importance of rainfall and sunshine in the coming weeks – these will be decisive for the final phase of the medium harvest and the start of the next main season. In Daloa, for example, just 9.1mm of rain was recorded, 20.8mm below the five-year average.

Temperatures across the country last week ranged from 25.7°C to 29°C, providing favourable conditions for cocoa development. Despite the weather uncertainty, local producers such as Kouassi Kouame and Albert N’Zue are hoping for an improvement and a good start to the main harvest season.