Drought affects cocoa crops in Africa

Abidjan, Oct 5 (Prensa Latina) The drought that is drying up crops in several countries is causing a sharp decline in the cocoa production. Originally from the Americas, from where it traveled in the conquerors' ships to Europe, and from there to the overseas possessions, cocoa was so successfully naturalized in Africa that today the world's leading producers are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, in that order.

October 5, 2023
00:30

However, the romance between the fruit and Ivory Coast is in crisis this year as scarce rainfalls will cause a drop in shipments of more than 28 percent during the first quarter of the 2023-2024 season.

The late arrival of heavy rains in the so-called cocoa belt is to blame for the drop in production, producers and counters of the pods of the fruit, the main ingredient of the sweet sin that is chocolate, agree.

Farmers reported a disease known as brown rot, which affects the cocoa pods and rots them.

jg/arm/mem/ms