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Below-average rains threaten Ivory Coast's cocoa mid-crop, farmers say - REUTERS
ABIDJAN, May 12 (Reuters) - Heavy rains are needed in Ivory Coast to compensate for below-average rainfall last week and fortify the last stage of the April-to-September midcrop in the country's main cocoa producing regions, farmers said on Monday.
Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, is in its rainy season, which runs officially from April to mid-November, when rains are abundant and often heavy.
Cocoa growers said sufficient rain in May and June would be crucial for crop development in August and September, as many small and average pods developing on trees need more moisture.
