Flooding fears in Ivory Coast's cocoa regions as disease spreads

Workers fill sacks with cocoa beans in Kahin village at the edge of Scio forest reserve in Duekoue, Ivory Coast. [Reuters]

Heavy rain in Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions threatens to compromise bean quality, raising fears of flooding and crop disease, farmers said on Monday.

Harvesting started early for the October-to-March main crop, and farmers expect it to be larger than last year’s.