Ivorian cocoa weather good, crisis disrupts harvest

Cote d’Ivoire’s weather last week was ideal for the development of the April-to-September mid-crop with both rain and sunshine, but political instability has disrupted the harvest, farmers and analysts said on Monday.

This year’s mid-crop cocoa was expected to be larger compared with last season. But a violent political standoff in the world’s top cocoa producing nation after a disputed election that has rekindled a civil war is stopping farmers from going to their farms and many have fled the cocoa producing regions.

In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, one analyst working for an industrial plantation reported 22 millimetres of rain mixed with sunny spells adequate for the ripening and the proliferation of small pods.

However, farmers said the political trouble has prevented them from harvesting pods already ripe on trees.

“There are lots of ripe pods. We want to harvest them, but we cannot because there is no means of travel,” said farmer Lazard Ake, who farms on the outskirts of Soubre.

Soubre is one of the towns in the cocoa producing region of Cote d’Ivoire, seized by forces loyal to presidential claimant, Alassane Ouattara, in their southward push. The forces now control over 90 per cent of the country, including the cocoa exporting port of San Pedro.

“There is insecurity and some of the fighters are seizing people’s cars and trucks. The quality of the cocoa will degrade if the ripe pods remain too long on the trees without being harvested,” Mr. Ake said.

In the centre-western region of Daloa, producing a quarter of the country’s national output, farmers reported three good rains which would help cocoa beans. They said many growers have fled the town for the campaign, fearing for their security.

“The rain is good and all is well with cocoa,” said farmer Marcel Aka. He added the many farmers have fled the city to go to the forest where they can find food easily.

In the southern region of Aboisso, analysts reported 37.7 millimetres.

“The weather is good, but there is no one to buy the cocoa,” said farmer Etienne Yao, who added that many growers are not bothering to harvest.

Similar weather conditions were reported in coastal regions of Sassandra and San Pedro, in the eastern region of Abengourou, in southern regions of Agboville and Divo, and in western regions of Meagui and Gagnoa. Reuters

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