Cocoa output from Ghana is running more than 50 percent higher than last year, easing the blow of delayed shipments from neighbouring Ivory Coast and putting the country on track to beat its full-season target. Purchases declared by private buyers to industry regulator Cocobod - the best reflection of output from the world's No 2 grower - hit 797,847 tonnes by April 21 since the start of the season in October, according to official data seen on Tuesday.
That is up 51.5 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the data, and brings the country on course to pass its 850,000-tonne target for the 2010-2011 season. Ghana typically produces about 100,000 tonnes between the end of April and the season's close in October.
The surging output from the West African state comes after a violent power struggle in Ivory Coast, the world's top grower, halted shipments there since late January, causing nearly a half million toonnes to back up at the docks Ghanaian cocoa is broadly perceived by the world markets to be of better quality than Ivorian beans.