Cocoa production in Ivory Coast expected to decline after heavy rains affected flowering and fruit development

In Côte d'Ivoire, heavy rains in October are causing concern among cocoa exporters, who are now reducing their production forecasts for the main harvest due to the high mortality of flowers and forming fruits – the small young fruits. According to counts carried out this month, the survival rate of flowers and fruits in formation is alarmingly low, varying between 60% and 70%, while in recent months it was around 25%. The heavy rains that have affected the west and southwest of the country since the beginning of the month have flooded several plantations and damaged the growth of the newly formed fruits. These small bobbins, which usually develop into flowers and later into ripe fruits, are vulnerable to adverse weather conditions and can turn yellow or fall prematurely when exposed to excess moisture. The direct impact of rain on the development of the harvest from October to March is leading accountants and exporters to revise their production estimates, which previously ...