Dryness Will Continue For Ghana, Southern Ivory Coast
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, August 4 (World Weather Inc.) – A large portion of Ghana and Ivory Coast were drier than normal during the past 30 days. Timely rain fell earlier this year that helped promote a good environment for the coffee and cocoa trees in addition to the cotton, sugarcane, rice and other crops grown in the region. Dryness slowed development rates in recent weeks and likely stressed crops. Southern Ivory Coast and Ghana will continue in a drier than normal bias during the next two weeks with portions of southwestern Nigeria also trending drier than normal.
The southern halves of Ivory Coast and Ghana received less than 75% of normal precipitation during the past 30 days ending August 2 with several areas near and along the coast of Ivory Coast receiving less than 25% of normal precipitation. Rainfall in the remaining portions of the west-central Africa crop production region received near to above average precipitation.
August is not normally a very wet month for coffee or cocoa production areas in west-central Africa. Rain usually falls, but at a more limited rate with lower coverage and less frequency than earlier and later in the year. The drier tendency that began in July will carry over into August and by the time September gets started some of the region will be in need of significant moisture.
Some coffee and cocoa stress may evolve during the balance of this month and possibly into early September if the drier tendency remains as it probably will. Up until now the region has had good rainfall to support normal production, but a couple of timely generalized rain events in the next few weeks would be welcome in assuring the best production potential.
Soil moisture has been decreasing in recent weeks because of the more limited precipitation pattern. However, the deeper rooted coffee and cocoa trees have not yet been seriously impacted by the lack of rain – at least not like that of sugarcane and a few unirrigated rice areas. The dryness concern is mostly confined to southern Ghana and far southern Ivory Coast and the heart of the production region has not been a part of the hottest or driest region.
Very little rain is slated for Ghana and southern sections of Ivory Coast through the middle of this month. Southwestern Nigeria will also only receive light rain. Much of the precipitation that falls will be lost to evaporation. Soil moisture declines will continue and many areas will be become too dry for the best crop conditions by the second half of this month.
Dryness in southern Ivory Coast and southern Ghana is mostly a coffee and cocoa production issue, although some sugarcane may also be negatively impacted by the drier tendencies. Cotton is produced further north where the bulk of rain usually falls at this time of year and both cotton and rice production are expected to be near normal.
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