Commodities

Fragile Cocoa Supply Runs Up Against Driest Winds Since 2019

  • The Harmattan season usually runs between November to March
  • Production in current season already shows signs of waning
Growers in Ivory Coast and Ghana are expected to deliver lower-than-expected crops.Photographer: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Bloomberg
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West Africa’s cocoa farms are being buffeted by the harshest Harmattan season in six years, hurting production at a time of tight global supplies and record-high prices.

This year, the season — which typically runs from November to March and brings dust-laden winds from the Sahara across West Africa — is running at the driest since 2018-2019, according to Donald Keeney, senior meteorologist at Maxar Technologies Inc.