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Sunny spells, soil moisture to enhance Ivory Coast's primary cocoa crop

Bright spells blended with high soil moisture content in the majority of Ivory Coast's main cocoa areas will improve the quality and the size of the OctobertoMarch primary crop, farmers said on Monday.

The world's top cocoa producer remains in its rainy season, which runs from April to mid-November.

Rain was mainly second-rate last week, which was the sunniest since August, farmers stated, adding that the sun would assistance enhance cocoa's drying conditions.

It would also enhance the state of rural roadways so that trucks could carry beans more quickly in less time.

In the western area of Soubre and in the southern area of Divo, where information collected revealed rains were below typical recently, farmers said growing conditions remained excellent for the main crop thanks to good soil wetness content.

Farmers said more rains would be required in November to assist cocoa trees throughout the dry season, which ranges from mid-November to March.

The sun is out. Many pods are ripening on the trees. And the beans are well-priced, Salame Kone, who farms near Soubre, where 23.4 millimetres (mm) of rain fell last week, 3.2 mm listed below the five-year average.

In the southern region of Agboville and in the eastern region of Abengourou, where rainfall was well above average last week, farmers said rains blended with long sunny spells would enhance the yield of cocoa trees so that lots of beans leave the bush till late January at least.

In the west-central region of Daloa and in the main areas of Bongouanou and Yamoussoukro, where rains were below average recently, farmers stated weather were helping little and average pods to develop well.

Farmers said cocoa shipments would pick up from next week as numerous big pods have actually ripened.

If the dry season is not serious, we will have sufficient cocoa until February, said Albert N'Zue, who farms near Daloa, where 10.2 mm of rain fell last week, 10.5 mm below the average.

Typical temperatures across Ivory Coast ranged from ranged from 26.2 to 28.6 degrees Celsius.

(source: Reuters)