DJ SW Nigeria Cocoa Trees Carrying 2008-09 Main Crop Flower

Cocoa trees in Nigeria's southwest region are now carrying flowers that will develop into the main crop for the 2008-09 season, farmers said Saturday.

"The outlook for the next main crop cocoa is looking good. Flowers for the crop are coming out already due to the good rainfall of the past two weeks," said Ademola Kuti, a farmer at Ifetedo area of Osun state.

Kuti said the first main crop flowers appeared on cocoa trees last month. It takes five and half months for the flowers to develop into matured pods before harvest.

"We expect the first harvest of the main-crop cocoa in mid-September provided the rainfall is good during the rainy season which has started in the southwest," Olu Akinmolayan, a farmer at Idanre in Ondo state, said.

Main crop cocoa harvest usually starts in the southwest cocoa belt in September/October and ends in January or February.

Tunde Babalola, a trader in Ile-Ife, Osun state said "the early development of the flowers means an early harvest and marketing of the main crop cocoa in the 2008-09 season."

He said the current rains would help the flowers develop into cherelles (tiny pods) but warned that excessive rains could also damage several flowers.

"If the rains are too heavy and continuous the flowers could be knocked off the trees. So we need moderate rains while the flowers are developing into cocoa pods," Babalola added.

The southwest cocoa belt accounts for 70% of Nigeria's annual cocoa production of 242,000 metric tons.

-By Obafemi Oredein; Dow Jones Newswires; 234 2 7510489

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-03-08 1223ET