Ghana, the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer, is expecting output of 820,000 metric tons of cocoa this season as hot, dry winds reduce the potential crop by as much as 9 percent from assessments made in November, a person familiar with the government forecast said.
The forecast conveyed by the person, who asked not to be identified because the information has not been made public, compares with the estimate of 850,000 tons to 900,000 tons disclosed by Noah Amenyah, spokesman for the state-owned Ghana Cocoa Board on Nov. 18. As recently as October Stephen Opuni, chief executive officer of the board, said the crop in the season that will end on Sept. 30 would exceed 1 million tons.
