Erratic weather conditions are causing a 28.5% year-on-year decline in cocoa shipments to Côte d'Ivoire ports for the 2023/2024 season.
The world's top cocoa producer is entering its new harvest season, with the main crop anticipated between October and March.
Late, heavy rains are reducing cocoa production, leading to lower bean arrivals, as cocoa crops require regular rainfall and sunshine.
Poor growing conditions in West African cocoa-producing regions, including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon, are contributing to the decline.
Heavy rains have negatively affected cocoa flowers, turning them into pods prematurely, and brown rot is impacting developed pods.
In the previous season (2022/2023), production reached approximately 1.259 million tonnes from October to December.
Analysts express concerns that the El Niño weather phenomenon may continue to disrupt production in the 2023/24 season.
Cocoa shipments to ports in Côte d'Ivoire expected to drop by 28.5% due to erratic weather conditions, impacting the 2023/2024 season.
The slowdown in cocoa bean arrivals is due to lower production caused by late, heavy rains in the cocoa belt region.
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