Cocoa arrivals in the port city of Lagos, Nigeria's main export route, declined by 53 percent against last year to 4,000 tonnes in April, an average of estimates by exporters showed on Wednesday. The sharp decline is in line with the trend since October when the 2006/07 season began in Nigeria, the world's fourth biggest cocoa grower.
"Around 1,000 tonnes of cocoa per week came to Lagos in April, which is far smaller than what we saw last year," one Lagos-based international trader told Reuters. The estimates showed that total cocoa arrivals to Lagos since October have fallen by 36 percent versus the previous season to 96,000 tonnes.