Top Cocoa producer Côte d’Ivoire, is seeing a 10% decrease in production compared to last season, with buyers and farmers now concerned that the low figures will continue to the end of the main harvest.
Côte d’Ivoire are the global leaders in Cocoa production, having produced over 2 million tonnes of Cocoa in 2021 alone. They are currently in the middle of their main Cocoa crop season, which runs from October through to March.
However, what was initially thought to be a slow start to the season, now appears to be persisting, as Cocoa yields are failing to rise. This has resulted in a disappointing harvest for November, which is usually regarded as the peak season. The 10% drop, equates to approximately a reduction of 250,000 tonnes.
Reuters reported on the matter, speaking with Yves Kone, director general of the country’s Cocoa and Coffee Council (CCC). Kone believes the drop is due to unfavourable weather conditions, as well as the need to rest trees after strong harvests for three consecutive years.
The shaky start has some buyers and middlemen less than optimistic for the rest of the season. In interviews conducted by Reuters, one middleman, Amidou Sylla, stated:
I don’t think December alone will make up for everything we lost.
It is unclear when to expect pod and flower development to pick up again, though some fear that slow production could continue through to March.
