Cocoa Crisis Unfolds: Ivory Coast Secures Border, Seizes 100 Tons from Guinea
On Friday, the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) of Ivory Coast collaborated with the national police to intercept three trucks carrying 1,500 bags of cocoa beans at the Guinea border, according to the regulator’s managing director. Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer, faces challenges as low farmgate prices have made it a target for smugglers from neighboring Liberia and Guinea, where cocoa beans command higher prices.
In Ivory Coast’s western region, bordering Guinea and Liberia, the current cost of a kilogram of cocoa ranges between 1,600 and 1,700 CFA francs ($2.63-$2.80), compared to the fixed and guaranteed price of 1,000 CFA francs per kilogram in Ivory Coast. Global cocoa prices have surged to record highs in recent months due to concerns about a bean deficit this season and anticipation of future challenges, intensifying competition for beans and prompting smuggling in cocoa-growing regions.
In collaboration with security forces, the CCC regulator successfully seized 100 tons of cocoa last week, reporting the trucks to the police, who intercepted them in Sipilou, located 4 km (2.5 miles) from Guinea. Yves Brahima Kone, CEO of CCC, affirmed the commitment to curbing cocoa smuggling to neighboring countries, emphasizing the determination to succeed in this mission.
Ivory Coast and its neighbor Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, have identified smuggling as hindering their annual production targets. Despite higher cocoa prices in neighboring countries, Ivory Coast has experienced reduced leakage this year, making it challenging for individuals to transport cocoa out of the country, according to Abel Gbale, a cocoa buyer in Danane, the last central town before the borders with Liberia and Guinea.
