Farmers in most of the world’s largest cocoa-producing country told Reuters that persistent dry spells could prevent trees from reaching their full potential and cause the September-to-February main crop to finish earlier than last season.
Harvesting remains limited, with deliveries expected to accelerate in October. However, farmers reported that some small pods were already drying out in areas receiving little rain.
“It is worrying. It is still not raining properly. There is a high risk that yields will be low and that the main crop will end quickly,” Kouassi Kouame, a farmer near the western region of Soubre, told Reuters.
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Only 0.5 millimetres of rain fell in Soubre during the week, 16.7mm below the five-year average. Farmers in the southern regions of Agboville and Divo reported similar concerns.