Ghana cocoa crop ‘in dire need of rainfall’

(AgriMoney) – Cocoa plantations in Ghana are “in dire need of rainfall”, thanks to sustained West African dryness which threatening both quality and production in Ivory Coast too, the International Cocoa Organization warned.

The ICCO – expanding on an upgrade late on Tuesday by 67,000 tonnes, to 180,000 tonnes, in its forecast for the world cocoa production deficit in 2016-17 – said that the revision reflected largely weaker harvest prospects in West Africa, which is responsible for more than 70% of global output.

“Extreme weather conditions, resulting from the severe Harmattan winds within the West African region, combined with the impact of El Niño, have negatively affected the 2015-16 harvests,” the ICCO said.

In Ivory Coast, the Harmattan – a hot and dry wind blowing in from the Sahara, and which has a history of hurting cocoa yields – is said “to be among the strongest in three decades”.

The El Nino weather pattern, meanwhile, often brings dry weather to West Africa.

‘In dire need of rainfall’

The impact of the poor conditions is expected to be evident especially in the ongoing mid-crop harvest in Ivory Coast as well as in Ghana, where the harvest, which typically starts in May, has yet to begin.

“Persistent dry weather conditions are reported to have been affecting the development of the midcrop harvest in West Africa,” the ICCO said.

In Ivory Coast, the top cocoa producing country, “these unfavourable weather conditions are anticipated to have a negative impact on the output and quality of the mid-crop”.

The persistent dryness is said to have “lowered the survival rate of flowers and cherelles”, or small pods.

In Ghana, “cocoa farmers are reported to be in dire need of rainfall for the vital development of the mid-crop”.

Brazilian woes

The ICCO cut its world production forecast for 2015-16, which started in October, by 115,000 tonnes to 4.04m tonnes, reflecting largely a 95,000-tonne downgrade to expectations for overall African output.

The Brazilian harvest received a notable downgrade too, by 30,000 tonnes to 210,000 tonnes – a drop of 50,000 tonnes year on year – thanks to a mixture of too little, and then too much, rainfall.

“Reports show that arrivals from the producing regions have been initially low, due to the long drought experienced earlier in the season,” the organisation said.

Now, “heavy rains are reported to be delaying the drying and transportation of cocoa beans and infestation of the witches’ broom disease is also being reported”.

The estimate for Indonesian output was raised by 20,000 tonnes to 320,000 tonnes, limiting to 5,000 tonnes the expected year-on-year decline.