Ivory Coast's Cocoa Crop Faces Unpredictable Future Amid Weather Challenges

Ivory Coast's cocoa regulator projects a 10% increase in the main crop for 2024/25, despite challenges from heavy rains affecting flower and pod development. Current forecasts estimate 2 million tons for this season, impacted by uncertainties. Heavy weather remains a concern for achieving production goals.

Ivory Coast is facing a challenging cocoa season, with the coffee and cocoa council projecting a 10% increase for the 2024/25 harvest, despite adverse weather conditions. Senior executives emphasize caution, especially due to heavy rains jeopardizing flower and pod development.

Arsene Dadie, the CCC's director of domestic marketing, noted regions responsible for a significant portion of annual production have faced weeks of heavy downpours, influencing the forecast. Recent estimates place the 2023/24 main crop at around 1.3 million metric tons, down from averages of recent harvests.

Industry experts from the International Cocoa Organization expect the season's total production to reach 2 million tons, despite being below the average historical yield. Dadie stressed the difficulty in making definitive predictions for the forthcoming seasons, citing the complex factors at play, including the visibility timelines for mid-crop cocoa.

(With inputs from agencies.)