Cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast are calling for more rain to support the development of the country’s mid-crop, after unusually dry conditions in several producing regions raised concerns about soil moisture and pod growth at a critical point in the season.
Growers across much of the world’s top cocoa-producing nation said little or no rain fell in key farming areas last week, despite the official start of the rainy season, which normally brings the moisture needed to sustain the March-to-August harvest and support yields in the months ahead.
Farmers said the dry spell had not yet caused serious damage, but warned that more rainfall would be needed soon to help pods already on the trees develop properly between May and August, when harvesting is expected to gather pace.
“We need enough rain. Harvests will increase starting in May,” farmer Jean Akou, who works near the western cocoa-growing hub of Soubre, told Reuters. No rain was recorded there last week, leaving the area 18.9 millimetres below the five-year average for the period.
Similar concerns were reported in the southern producing zones of Agboville and Divo, as well as in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rainfall was also below average. In the west-central area of Daloa and the central regions of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, growers said the soil was becoming increasingly dry and less suitable for cocoa development.
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“We need rain. The ground is getting drier and drier,” said Arsene Kan, a farmer near Daloa, where no rainfall was recorded and precipitation was 21 millimetres below the seasonal norm.
The reports come as global cocoa markets remain highly sensitive to weather conditions in West Africa, which accounts for the bulk of world supply. Ivory Coast and neighbouring Ghana have both faced repeated production challenges in recent seasons due to erratic rainfall, disease pressure, ageing trees and structural constraints in farm investment.
The mid-crop, while smaller than the main October-to-March harvest, plays an important role in shaping total annual output and influencing supply expectations for chocolate makers and commodity traders. Signs of stress at this stage are therefore closely watched by international markets already rattled by tight supplies and high prices.
Farmers said sunshine was also welcome in April, as a balance of warmth and moisture is needed to sustain healthy crop development. But they stressed that without more regular rainfall in the coming weeks, the pods currently visible on trees may struggle to mature fully or deliver strong bean quality later in the season.
Weekly average temperatures across Ivory Coast last week ranged between 28.7 and 32.7 degrees Celsius, according to the farmer survey, levels that can intensify moisture loss if not offset by sufficient rainfall.
For now, growers said harvesting remained modest but should improve from next month if weather conditions normalise. That leaves the outlook for the mid-crop finely balanced: current pod formation offers some promise, but the next few weeks of rainfall will be crucial in determining whether that potential translates into stronger output.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of cocoa production to increasingly uneven weather patterns in West Africa, where smallholder farmers remain heavily dependent on rainfall and have limited means to cushion themselves against climate-related shocks. For global buyers, it is another reminder that supply risks in the cocoa market remain far from resolved.
