Unseasonal Rain Aids Cocoa Crop in Ivory Coast’s South

(Bloomberg) -- Unseasonal rains have given a boost to cocoa crops in the south of Ivory Coast, the world's top producer.

The showers are aiding moisture levels as the seasonal dusty Harmattan winds that blow from the Sahara set in. In the country's west, farmers surveyed last week said they were happy with the mix of showers and sun and expect farm-to-market roads to soon be repaired following flood damage last year.

“At the end of December it rained and also at the beginning of the year, which is very rare in the Harmattan period,” said Vincent Yannon, a farmer in Grand Yapo in Ivory Coast's south. “The next rains will facilitate the appearance of new flowers,” which will produce fresh pods, he said.

Growers are expected to collect a good harvest this season. London cocoa futures have fallen about 10% since touching a seven-month high in October, partly on anticipation for ample global supply.

West Africa

Elsewhere in West Africa, farmers in parts of Ghana said trees aren't bearing the same volumes as last season. A grower in Enchi, near Ghana's border with Ivory Coast, said rains are needed to compensate for cyclical crop fatigue after a bumper harvest last year.

In Cameroon, the dry season is hurting crops in the center production area, with branches of many plants unable to resume growth after harvesting, said Emmanuel Nguile, in Ngoro, near Bafia.

Main-crop harvesting is now in its final stages, a grower near Ikom in Nigeria's southeast said in late December. While rains stopped, the cooler Harmattan weather and early morning dews helped the development of fresh flowers.