Numerous cocoa producers persist in calling for a revaluation of cocoa selling prices. Just over a week ago, the Minister of Agriculture set the farm-gate price at 1,500 FCFA per kilogram for the interim season extending until late September. Convening on Friday, April 12th, in a General Assembly in Daloa, two cocoa grower organizations are advocating for several improvements in the working conditions of farmers.
The Synap CI and Anaproci, two cocoa grower organizations, are advocating for a reassessment of the margins paid to producer cooperatives. They are demanding a revision of the regulations governing cocoa marketing because, as Koffi Kanga, the president of Anaproci, asserts, “these regulations do not sufficiently protect producers in the event of a disaster.”
Regarding the cocoa price for the interim campaign, these two organizations acknowledge the increase granted by the authorities, but they would have preferred an even higher price, set at 2,500 CFA/kg, compared to the current 1,500 FCFA.
“More than 80% of our cocoa producers live below the poverty line, despite Côte d’Ivoire producing 40% of the world’s cocoa production,” laments Simon Doho, representative of the PDCI parliamentary group in the Assembly.
On the other hand, the Minister of Agriculture emphasizes that price increases in global markets “are reflected with a delay,” as Ivory Coast has opted for a system of forward sales, aiming, he says, “to ensure stability in production and prices.”