Soubre, Ivory Coast, Aug 13 - Rains have allowed cocoa crops in southwestern Ivory Coast to develop well but shortages of pesticides in the wet weather has led to the spread of blackpod disease on some farms, producers said on Wednesday.
Cocoa farmers and exporters in the southwest of the world's top producer say the heavy rain that fell in May and June points to a strong main crop for the 2008/9 season, which starts in October, with pods already ripening and looking large.
But they say a lack of pesticide in the humid zones near Soubre has allowed the spread of black pod disease and capsids -- insects which damage cocoa pods.
If not addressed in the coming weeks, the lack of treatment would lead to a reduction in the second half of the main crop from the middle of December onwards to the end of the main crop season on March 31.
Ivory Coast is now winding up the April-September mid crop of the 2007/8 season but the industry is focusing far more on the upcoming harvest.
"There is no need for concern about the size of the main crop because the first pods have come out and ... there is reason to hope for a fairly good harvest," said an exporter based in the port town of San Pedro.
Along the road from Yabayo to Issia, producers were satisfied with the development of their young crops, saying volumes should be good due to favourable weather.
The exporter acknowledged the presence of black pod, especially on the area's other cocoa route, which links the coastal town of Sassandra and Gueyo to the north, but pointed out that black pod was a seasonal phenomenon and said this year was not particularly worse than usual.
The region accounts for roughly a quarter of Ivory Coast's annual harvest of 1.2-1.4 million tonnes, which is the world's biggest.
Farmers in the humid areas said their crops should be treated three or four times each season but, in some cases, had not been treated for three years.
"There are serious treatment problems in the cocoa fields here. We don't have enough pesticides and the black pod disease, which we didn't have before is spreading each year," said farmer Gustave Kobenan at Tohui, 60 kilometres (38 miles) from Soubre.
Kobenan said the lack of pesticides meant he had only treated half of his six hectares and, showing a pod with the disease, was now seeing the affects.
"That means the pod is lost," he said. "If you treat the fields properly it will go away immediately but we've not been able to afford (to do this) for a long time now."
Some farmers try to mix in spoiled beans with healthy ones to increase volumes, affecting the quality of the cocoa.
One exporter acknowledged the problem but said it was difficult to say how much of an impact it would have and that it was something that had to be prevented up country as it would be too late once the beans reached the ports for shipping.