Cocoa arrivals are rising at ports in Ivory Coast despite political tensions in the world's top grower as President Laurent Gbagbo remains in office beyond the end of his constitutional term, exporters said on Monday.
The main commercial city and cocoa-exporting port of Abidjan was calm on Monday after soldiers and riot police fired tear gas and warning shots on Sunday, when Gbagbo's mandate ended, at opposition protesters demanding he step down.
"Cocoa arrivals are now at a very satisfactory level for us, with volumes rising these past two weeks after the low levels seen at the start of the month," said the director of a leading European exporter based in Abidjan.
"For the last week of October more than 50,000 tonnes have been registered in the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro, the largest amount we've received in a single week since the start of the season," the exporter said.
Many farmers had refused to sell their beans earlier in the month hoping farmgate prices would rise but as the quality of their stocks deteriorated, and prices remained low, they were forced to go to market.
Exporters said they were keeping a close eye on the political situation but said it was not yet hitting business.
"The political situation remains worrying for us because the signs of tensions between the government and opposition are there and each party is determined to have their way," said a second European exporter.
"It is not yet critical for us but if the tensions persist, it could handicap us, although that is not the case for the moment. We are working normally," the exporter said.
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