(Ecofin Agency) - Côte d’Ivoire may produce less cocoa than expected this season. Reuters reports that by March the output could be 1.32 million tons. This volume is slightly below the initial expectations (1.45 million tons) and down by 12% compared with the previous campaign.

According to a group of 13 exporters and pod counters interviewed by Reuters, this decline in production is due to the heavy rain between October and November which created a brown rot, destroying part of the crop. Moreover, lack of rain and hot weather have disrupted production activities since December.

Though the mid-crop’s output has not been estimated yet, many farmers fear that below-average rainfall and dry weather could affect the plants’ growth.

"The flowers and the small pods have a 60% survival rate during the mid-crop season against 90% last season," said a pod counter.

Let’s recall that Côte d'Ivoire had harvested 2 million tons of cocoa during the 2016-17 season.

Espoir Olodo