Abundant rain and sunny spells improved growing conditions in Ivory Coast's cocoa regions last week, farmers said, offering respite after an especially harsh dry season.
The long dry season reduced the size and quality of beans, especially for the mid-crop which runs from April to September. But continued good weather through June could help crops in the last few months of the season, growers said.
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"The farmers are confident. The conditions have been good since the beginning of the month," said Salame Kone, who farms in the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt.
Soubre received 30.5 millimetres of rain last week, down from 37 mm the week before, one analyst reported.
In the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast's cocoa, farmers said flowers have started to proliferate in some plantations thanks to the improving conditions.
"The flowers have come in abundance. It means that the trees have regained strength. This is a good sign for future harvests," said Albert N’Zue, a farmer in Daloa.
Farmers in the west, east and coastal regions also said conditions were improving, though one farmer in the south said that the rain was hindering drying conditions, which can create mould.
*First published by Reuters
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