Some 479,451 tonnes of cocoa reached Ivory Coast's ports between the start of the 2003/04 season (October-September) and December 21, down nearly 18 percent from the same period last year, official data showed on Tuesday.
Figures issued by the marketing board Coffee and Cocoa Bourse (BCC) and obtained by Reuters showed that bean arrivals in the world's largest cocoa producer totalled 479,451 tonnes during the first three months of the buying period, compared with 584,180 tonnes last season.
The BCC's data showed that 99,447 tonnes arrived at ports in October, compared with 139,439 tonnes last year; 239,819 tonnes in November, compared with 236,619 tonnes; and 140,185 tonnes in the first 21 days of December compared with 208,122 tonnes over the same period last season.
Exporters based in the south-western port of San Pedro said on Tuesday that only 1,500 tonnes of beans reached the port per day in early January, around 50 percent less than during the same period in the last campaign.
Local industry officials blamed insecurity in the key western growing regions where ethnic clashes have forced some farmers off their lands, smuggling into Ghana and Guinea and low farmgate prices for the shortage of beans.
Exporting firms said weak farmgate prices had curbed the flow of beans, with farmers asking for 450 CFA francs ($0.85) per kg and buyers offering between 300 and 325 CFA francs ($0.56-$0.61) upcountry.
"Farmers are holding back their beans, waiting for better prices," a leading exporter said. "It seems that there's more cocoa in the bush but growers are reluctant to sell as the price they receive is too low."
According to the BCC's data, the average price paid to farmers was sharply down from last year.
Cocoa farmers received 379 CFA francs per kg on average between October 1 and December 21, compared with 741 CFA francs per kg last season. Exporters paid 436 CFA francs per kg on average at ports, against 841 CFA francs per kg last season.
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