ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Patchy rain mixed with cold and cloudy weather in Ivory Coast’s main cocoa-growing regions last week could hold back the development of the 2011/12 main crop, farmers and analysts said on Monday.
July and August are seen as crucial for the development of the October-March main crop, with cocoa trees needing at least four hours per day of sun for a good development of pods — a level analysts said they were not getting at the moment.
Farmers said soil moisture in the plantations was high after a period of abundant and heavy rains and that sunshine was needed to strengthen development of new small pods for a strong start to the next main crop.
In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, analyst reported 4 millimetres of rain in the bush, compared with 16 millimetres the previous week.
"The rains have subsided, but instead of sun we’ve got the cold," said farmer Lazare Ake near Soubre.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, analysts reported 21 millimetres of rain, compared with 63.5 millimetres the week before.
"There is no sun, the sky is covered and it is cold. We are wondering whether the sprays we use against plant disease will work if the weather continues like this," said farmer Denis Kablan.
The south-eastern region of Aboisso got 3 millimetres of rain, against 169 millimetres the week before.
No rain fell in centre-western Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast’s national output, and farmers said there had been some spells of sunshine there.
Deprecated: strpos(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($haystack) of type string is deprecated in /home/agriviek8Qv/agriviet.net/public_html/wp-includes/comment-template.php on line 2522