Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa output is expected to slump by around a fifth this year due to the severe effects of El Niño, according to Bloomberg. The weather phenomenon, which could be the worst on record, will intensify Harmattan winds that dry out topsoil and cause crops to fall. El Niño will also exacerbate the impact of torrential rains in neighboring Ghana, causing damage to crops and an increase in black pod disease. Projections suggest food inflation will rise across much of Africa due to the extreme weather patterns, affecting not only cocoa but potentially other agricultural products as well.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
West Africa's cocoa producers, particularly Côte d'Ivoire, are facing a significant threat from this year's El Niño, which is forecasted to be the worst on record. The weather phenomenon will likely intensify the yearly Harmattan winds, causing topsoil to dry out and cocoa pods to fall, leading to a predicted output slump of around a fifth in Côte d'Ivoire, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, Ghana, another major cocoa producer, has already experienced damage from torrential rains, which have also increased the spread of the deadly black pod disease. This is not just an issue for cocoa producers; The Institute of International Finance warns that El Niño will affect Africa's agricultural sector across the board, through either flooding or drought, and drive up food inflation on the continent. Many African economies are in a weaker economic position compared to 2015-2016, due to higher oil prices and a strong US dollar, making them more vulnerable to the impacts of El Niño.
Written for “El Nino Cocoa Threats” on 2026-09-07,
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No political leaning scored for article 6354 · logged 2026-09-07
West Africa’s cocoa producers are under threat from this year’s El Niño, which threatens to be the worst on record.
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which → threaten → record
The weather phenomenon has been known to intensify the yearly Harmattan winds, which dry out topsoil and cause pods to fall.
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pods → know → topsoil
Côte d’Ivoire — the world’s top producer — is expected to see its output slump by around a fifth, Bloomberg reported.
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Bloomberg → expect → fifth
El Niño is likely to exacerbate the impact of torrential rains in neighboring Ghana that have damaged crops and increased the prevalence of the plant-killing black pod disease.
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that → exacerbate → disease
The Institute of International Finance warned that cocoa is not the only food product at risk from El Niño, which forecasts suggest will affect Africa’s agricultural sector across the board, through either flooding or drought.
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forecasts → warn → flooding
Projections suggest the extreme weather patterns will drive food inflation across much of the continent.
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patterns → suggest → continent
Many African economies are in a much weaker economic position compared to the strong 2015-2016 El Niño, the IIF report said, largely due to higher oil prices, which have driven up transport costs, and a strong US dollar.
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which → compare → costs
