Ivory Coast dry spell rises cocoa shortage fears, farmers say

ABIDJAN, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Rains were below average last week in most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa growing regions, farmers said on Monday, adding that a more prolonged dry spell could tighten the supply of the October-to-March main crop from February.

The world’s top cocoa producer is in its dry season that runs from mid-November to March, when downpours are scarce.

Farmers said many beans would continue to leave the bush until late January but the lack of sufficient rainfall would weaken cocoa trees and reduce deliveries.

In the west-central region of Daloa and in the central region of Yamoussoukro, where no rain fell last week, and in the central region of Bongouanou, where rainfall was weak, farmers were worried that the weather could damage cocoa yields.

“There is no rain and the weather is dry. Harvesting will be low in February and March,” said Albert N’Zue, who farms near Daloa, where no rain fell last week, which is 4.6 millimetres (mm) below the five-year average.

Farmers there said they expected the dry weather to intensify from mid-December.

The Harmattan wind, which usually sweeps in from the Sahara desert between December and March, can dry the soil and harm cocoa pods, making them smaller.

In the western region of Soubre, in the southern regions of Divo and Agboville, and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rains were below average last week, farmers also said cocoa supply could tighten from February.

“The number of large pods on the trees is diminishing. After January, harvesting will drop off sharply, but will not stop abruptly,” said Kouassi Kouame, who farms near Soubre, where 9.7 mm of rain fell last week, 2 mm below the five-year average.

Average temperatures across the West African country last week ranged from 27.5 to 28.2 degrees Celsius. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly. Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Mark Potter)

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