Average cocoa prices paid to farmers in Ivory Coast were mostly up between September 6-12, as buyers competed for weak supplies before the start of the 2004/05 season on October 1, BCC data showed on Tuesday.
In Ouragahio, near the south-western town of Gagnoa where prices rose 35 CFA francs, the chairman of the Coora co-operative, Yao Konan, said prices there had been bolstered by an influx of buyers chasing the little cocoa available.
"People are tripping over each other here to get cocoa and buyers are trying to persuade farmers to give them first preference, but for now there is not much cocoa coming out of the bush," he said.
In the south-western town of Meagui, around 40km south of Soubre, farmer Noel Kabore told Reuters that buyers were plentiful but some farmers were refusing to sell in the hope prices would rise once the new season began.
"Prices are around 300 CFA francs per kg and very few farmers are selling their beans except those who need the cash and sell a few bags here and there," he said.