(Ecofin Agency) - In Côte d’Ivoire, the cocoa output during the mid-crop ,which will begin in April, could shrink by 23% to stand at 400, 000 tons due to insufficient rainfall between November to March. The information was reported by Reuters, which mentioned a senior source at the Coffee-Cocoa Council (CCC).

 According to the source, the lack of rain in most of the production areas slowed the development of the pods and reduced the survival rate of cherelles (note: young fruits resulting from the fertilization of cocoa tree’s flowers).

With this decrease, the total harvest during the 2017-2018 cocoa season should stand at 1.8 million tons, down by 200,000 tons from the 2million tons produced during the previous season. 

According to CCC, the price per kg of cocoa should be between CFA600-650 CFA during the related season.

Espoir Olodo