London/Abidjan — Ivory Coast’s move to halt the distribution of high-yielding seeds and other advanced tools to cocoa farmers could pave the way for problems with quality, more erratic production and the spread of diseases, industry sources warned. Ivory Coast recently suspended programmes aiming to increase cocoa productivity in an effort to tackle oversupply, which in 2017 drove prices to their lowest in more than nine years and slashed farmer incomes by more than a third. Output in Ivory Coast surged to a record 2-million tonnes in the 2016-17 season, from 1.2-million 10 years earlier. Last season, it outstripped demand by about 300,000 tonnes, according to the International Cocoa Organisation. "We have invested a lot of money and also other resources to develop productivity," said one pod counter for a major chocolate maker, estimating yields rose to 800kg per hectare, from about 350kg-400kg a decade ago. Yet, industry sources say illegal cocoa in protected forests is the main r...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.