main crop

COTE D’IVOIRE – RAIN COULD BOOST MAIN CROP

Farmers in Côte d’Ivoire cocoa growing regions believe above average rain could boost its main crop during it’s first three months (October-March), even though there has been some small signs of black pod disease, which thrives during the wet season. It is also a major threat to output.

The harvest was good last week with good size and quality beans, so the farmers were stockpiling awaiting for higher farmgate prices for the coming season, as the government is due to set a new farmgate price this week, opening the new season, and most farmers said they were expecting the price to be well above the 850 CFA per kg of the last season.

Reuters reported rainfall in Yamoussoukro was 60.8 mm last week, 35.6 mm above the five-year average, where farmers said the combination of good sunshine along with the above average rain would help the trees reach their maximum potential this season.

On the other hand, in the western region of Soubre and in the southern region of Divo, rainfall was also above average so the farmers are happy with the size and quality of the first beans, but to dry them properly, they will need more sun.

In the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of national output, and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rainfall was below the average, farmers reported some cases of the black pod disease.

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