Côte d’Ivoire’s cashew harvest faces severe decline in Bounkani
The cashew harvest season in Côte d’Ivoire is underway, with the Cotton and Cashew Council projecting over 1.3 million tonnes of raw cashews this year. While this figure represents a robust output comparable to previous seasons, it marks a significant decline of 200,000 tonnes compared to last year’s harvest. Among the regions grappling with this downturn, Bounkani in the northeast is particularly hard-hit, primarily due to erratic rainfall patterns.
From Bouna, Northern Côte d’Ivoire
Kouamé Ouattara, a cashew farmer in Bounkani, finds himself in technical unemployment this season. His 3-hectare plantation, which once yielded 500 kg per hectare, now produces barely two sacks of cashews across the entire plot. «Three years ago, I could harvest 500 kg per hectare. Now, I struggle to gather two sacks from 3 hectares,» he laments. Ouattara attributes this sharp decline to disrupted rainfall patterns. «Typically, heavy rains from November to December should promote flowering in cashew trees. This year, however, the rains stopped in October. From October through January, February, there was no rain. When flowering fails once, you must wait until the next season. That’s why this year’s harvest has failed.»
The impact extends beyond cashew farmers. Beekeepers who maintain hives within cashew plantations are also struggling. Koffi Ouattara, president of the Koflangué beekeepers’ association, reports a drastic reduction in honey production. «Last year, we harvested 100 liters of honey. This year, we’ve only managed 30 liters. For us, this is a significant loss,» he notes.
Addressing poor farming practices
Beyond climate-related challenges, suboptimal farming practices are exacerbating the situation, according to Dr. Sibirina Soro, a researcher at Daloa University and national coordinator of the cashew research project. «The primary issue lies in plantation density. Many cashew groves resemble forests because initial planting densities were not respected,» explains Soro. «We now advise farmers to rehabilitate these groves to achieve optimal density, with a recommended average of 100 trees per hectare.»
Soro also conducts annual training sessions to combat pest infestations. He emphasizes the need for better support for farmers, as Ivorian cashew producers avoid chemical pesticides, leaving their crops more vulnerable to losses during poor harvests.
