20100906
reuters

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Cloudy, rainy weather continued in Ivory Coast's cocoa-growing regions last week, blotting out sun needed to ripen cocoa pods and threatening bean quality, farmers and analysts said on Monday.

Everywhere except the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers said sunshine was poor and rainy weather was spreading black pod disease and making beans hard to dry just before they expected to start harvesting the main crop.

The correct balance of sun and rain is crucial for the development of the cocoa crop. Too little sun, and the cocoa beans come out small and conditions are often too humid to properly dry them out.

Cocoa exporters in the world's top producer have said they expect the main crop starting next month to be better than last season's, partly because of good rains, but farmers in several regions said persistent cloudy weather risked damaging the crop.

The appearance of the sun on Monday lifted hopes for sunny spells in the coming week to boost the crop, farmers said.

Several farmers said they expected to start harvesting for the main crop next week but that a lack of enough sun could prevent them from properly drying beans and damage quality.

In the western region of Soubre, which accounts for about 420,000 tonnes or a third of total annual production, farmers reported that black pod disease was rife. The scale of the damage is not dramatic but could worsen if the cloudy weather persists, they said.

"The number of pods going black is on the rise. But we still could have a good harvest if the sun comes out," said Lazare Ake, who farms near Soubre.

In San Pedro, in the southern region of Soubre, farmers said the sun had finally appeared on Monday, and they expected a better main crop this season compared with the last one if it holds out.