Hot, dry weather in key Ghana region casts shadow on cocoa rebound hopes

Ghana’s cocoa rebound is under some stress as hot and dry weather has caused flowers and pods to wither in the southwest, one of the country’s main production hubs.

“The flowering pods are withering and other food crops including vegetables are also reeling,” said Francis Agyabeng, a farmer in the town of Yakase.

Ghana expects cocoa production to recover to 700,000 tons in 2024-25 after bad weather and disease combined with a lack of fertilizers to send the global market into a third year of shortages.

Here’s a round-up of comments from producers across West Africa:

Ivory Coast

There has been little rain but plantations in the western and southern production zones continue to thrive.

The absence of rain over the past week has allowed farmers to effectively treat their plants with chemicals and prevent possibility of disease.

The weather remains favorable to crop growth and farmers remain optimistic about the next season, according to Henri Michel, a grower in Obala near the capital, Yaounde.

Nigeria

Nigeria’s Meteorological Agency has forecast little to no rain in August, which farmers view positively as it reduces the chances of pests and crop diseases. “Fresh flowers are now very prominent,” said Alphonsus Nana, a cocoa farmer near Ikom in Nigeria’s southeast.

In the southwest too farmers are using the break in rains for farm maintenance activities