ABIDJAN, March 7 (Reuters) - Hot weather and patchy rains last week in Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions were favourable for development of the mid-crop harvest, farmers and analysts said on Monday.
The October-to-March main crop in Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, is tailing off and farmers are now eyeing the mid-crop which runs from April to September.
Farmers said the weather has been good since the start of the year compared with the previous season and continued rains this month would be key to volumes and quality.
In the centre-western region of Daloa, producing a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers reported a mixture of abundant downpours and sunshine spells.
Farmers said the state of plantations indicated that the mid-crop's first beans would be available in the first half of April, but at least one abundant rain per week was needed to strengthen the quality of the beans.
"It has been regularly hot and we had a big rain last night. Its a very good scenario for development of the mid-crop," said Marcel Aka, a farmer in Daloa.
"We now need rain each week in order for the quality to be good at the start of the harvest in April," he said.
In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, one analyst reported 27 millimetres of rain last week.
Farmers said they were satisfied and the weather was paving the way to an abundant crop compared with last season, with some pods potentially rady for harvest by the ed of March.
"There has been good rain. The weather conditions have been very good this year and the mid-crop harvest could start early," said farmer Koffi Kouame.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, about 11 millimetres of rain was reported. Farmers said trees showed plenty of small pods and the rainfall boosted expectations for the mid-crop.
"The rain has reassured us. There will be lots of cocoa," said farmer Denis Kablan.
No rain was reported in the southern and coastal regions of Agboville, Aboisso, Divo, San Pedro or Sassandra, but farmers said growing conditions remained generally good.
source: http://af.reuters.com/article/ivoryCoastNews/idAFLDE72615C20110307
