ABIDJAN: Abundant rain and sun last week in most of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa growing regions will help trees to reach their full potential for the October to March main crop, farmers said on Monday, but some also complained of flooding.

The main crop harvest has begun in the world’s top cocoa producer, which produces over 1.5 million tonnes a year.

“We can’t reach our plantations at the moment. There are floods and the rivers have broken their banks,” N’Dri Kouao, a farmer in Niable near the border with Ghana, said.

“We are afraid that the beans will rot because of the high humidity,” he said. Many farmers have already lost much of their crop to fungal disease.

Farmers reported heavy rain in the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, and in the eastern region of Abengourou, known for the good quality of its beans.

But the sun was strong last week and would help to ward off rot, Salame Kone, who farms near Soubre, said. Many pods are nearly ripe and he expects more cocoa than last year, he said.

In the centre-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast’s national output, farmers said that there was enough sun to ensure several months of good growth.

“With this weather, we’re sure to have good quality beans until January at least,” farmer Raphael Kouadio said.

Farmers were also optimistic about the main crop outlook in southern regions Aboisso, Agboville and Divo, and in western region Duekoue.—Reuters