Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa beans producer, harvested 1.74 million tonnes of the commodity during the 2013 and 2014 season, an official report has said.
The report made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abidjan by the Cote d’Ivoire Coffee and Cocoa Board, said the current season produced better harvest than the 2010 and 2011 season which produced 1.51 million tonnes.
It said that the harvest for the current season represented more than 15 per cent increase compared to the harvest for the previous season.
The report further showed a cumulative cocoa purchase of 1.74 million tonnes during the season under review.
Lambert Konan, Head, Global Consulting, a firm overseeing the country’s cocoa and coffee industry, said the purchase represented a 20 per cent rise compared to the previous season.
“Export volume increased by 11.23 per cent during the season. This production record was driven by the Alassane Ouattara-led government’s focus on reforming the sector.
“The record was also made possible due to the favourable weather which the sector enjoyed during the season, ’’Konan said.
He said the price of cocoa which stood at 750 CFA (about 1.14 euros) was also a source of encouragement to farmers.
According to him, the cocoa board will continue to evolve policies that will encourage farmers to cultivate and make huge harvests.
Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer, producing about 35 per cent of the global market share. Revenue from cocoa accounts for about 15 per cent of the country’s GDP.
(NAN)
Story type:
Routine
