Small-scale cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast say their production is down after unpredictable rains this season.
Sylvain N'goran , who has been a cocoa farmer for the past 17 years, holds cocoa beans in his hand in the village of Bocanda north of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 24, 2022. National production remains on track because the amount of land being cultivated is on the rise. But experts say small-scale farmers are hurting this year. For the cocoa tree to fruit well, rains need to come at the right times in the growing cycle. Coming at the wrong times risks crop disease.
But this year Saleyo says the rains have become unpredictable, and he fears his crop could be yet another victim of climate change. “When it should have rained, it didn’t, it didn’t rain," Saleyo said as he inspected the ripeness of one of his cocoa pods."It’s raining now, but its already too late.” Cocoa farming employs nearly 600,000 farmers here in Ivory Coast, ultimately supporting nearly a quarter of the country's population — about 6 million people, according to the Coffee-Cocoa Council.National production remains on track because the amount of land being cultivated is on the rise. But experts say small-scale farmers are hurting this year. For the cocoa tree to fruit well, rains need to come at the right times in the growing cycle. Coming at the wrong times risks crop disease.
Some who are used to producing 500 kilograms are looking at only 200 kilograms this year, said Jean Yao Brou, secretary-general of the Anouanze cooperative, which helps farmers bring their crops to markets.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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