Cocoa Care and T. Oberthür When seasonal rains arrive late in Indonesia, farmers often take it as a sign that it is not worth investing in fertilizer for their crops. Sometimes they opt out of planting annual crops altogether. Generally, they're making the right decision, as a late start to the rainy season is usually associated with the state of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and low rainfall in the coming months. Scientific Reports shows that ENSO, the weather-shaping cycle of warming and cooling of the Pacific Ocean along the equator, is a strong predictor of cacao harvests up to two years before a harvest.