ABIDJAN: Steady rainfall and ample sunshine in Ivory Coast�s main cocoa growing regions last week have kept the top grower on the path towards a healthy start to the upcoming main crop, farmers and analysts said on Monday.
The 2011/2012 cocoa season, which wraps up at the end of September is expected to fall short of the previous year�s record harvest, due mainly to a five-month dry spell that carried into March.
Farmers and analysts said a current run of good weather conditions has boosted the development of flowers that will form the pods harvested at the start of the 2012/2013 main crop, which is marketed from Oct. 1.
In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of the Ivorian cocoa belt, 23 millimetres of rainfall were reported last week compared with 59 mm the previous week.
Farmers said the soil moisture content was sufficient to support the development of plenty of flowers and small pods for the main crop but added that sunshine would be the key factor until August.
�Flowering has been very good. There is no problem with precipitation. There are already medium-size pods on the trees. If there�s lots of sunshine, we�ll have an early harvest in September,� said Emile Konan, who farms on the outskirts of Soubre.
In the southeastern region of Aboisso, an analyst reported 11.2 mm of rainfall over two days last week, compared with 35 mm the previous week.
�The amount of sunshine has improved, but we need more heat for good pod development,� said the analyst, who asked not to be named.
�We are seeing lots of small pods growing on the trees. It�s a good sign for the main crop,� said Etienne Yao, who farms outside Aboisso.
In the western region of Daloa, which produces about a quarter of Ivory Coast�s national output, farmers reported one abundant rain shower mixed with good sunshine during the week.
�If we get a mix of a bit of rain and lots of sun, the first beans will be large and of good quality. I think that the climate is good to have lots of cocoa in October,� said Attoungbre Kouame, a farmer near Daloa.
Similar growing conditions were reported in western regions of Gagnoa and Duekoue.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, another analyst reported 35 mm of rainfall last week, compared with 18 mm the week before.
�It�s good, because there was enough sun. If it continues like that, we won�t have to worry about black pod,� said local farmer Denis Kablan.�Reuters
The 2011/2012 cocoa season, which wraps up at the end of September is expected to fall short of the previous year�s record harvest, due mainly to a five-month dry spell that carried into March.
Farmers and analysts said a current run of good weather conditions has boosted the development of flowers that will form the pods harvested at the start of the 2012/2013 main crop, which is marketed from Oct. 1.
In the western region of Soubre, in the heart of the Ivorian cocoa belt, 23 millimetres of rainfall were reported last week compared with 59 mm the previous week.
Farmers said the soil moisture content was sufficient to support the development of plenty of flowers and small pods for the main crop but added that sunshine would be the key factor until August.
�Flowering has been very good. There is no problem with precipitation. There are already medium-size pods on the trees. If there�s lots of sunshine, we�ll have an early harvest in September,� said Emile Konan, who farms on the outskirts of Soubre.
In the southeastern region of Aboisso, an analyst reported 11.2 mm of rainfall over two days last week, compared with 35 mm the previous week.
�The amount of sunshine has improved, but we need more heat for good pod development,� said the analyst, who asked not to be named.
�We are seeing lots of small pods growing on the trees. It�s a good sign for the main crop,� said Etienne Yao, who farms outside Aboisso.
In the western region of Daloa, which produces about a quarter of Ivory Coast�s national output, farmers reported one abundant rain shower mixed with good sunshine during the week.
�If we get a mix of a bit of rain and lots of sun, the first beans will be large and of good quality. I think that the climate is good to have lots of cocoa in October,� said Attoungbre Kouame, a farmer near Daloa.
Similar growing conditions were reported in western regions of Gagnoa and Duekoue.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, another analyst reported 35 mm of rainfall last week, compared with 18 mm the week before.
�It�s good, because there was enough sun. If it continues like that, we won�t have to worry about black pod,� said local farmer Denis Kablan.�Reuters
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