Ivory Coast’s Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) has reduced its 2024/25 cocoa export contract sales by 40% due to worsening weather.
Persistent rains and floods since October have affected flower and pod growth and led to brown rot, a fungal disease.
Reports from CCC agents show the southwest, west, and east regions are particularly impacted.
“We don’t want to take any risks,” said a CCC source.
By the end of September, export contracts for the main crop stood at 1.2 million metric tons, plus 150,000 tons rolled over from 2023/24.
However, forecasts were revised downward after floods damaged plantations in late October.
Exporters are concerned about a drop in cocoa arrivals between January and March 2025.
“We requested 25,000 tons, but only 8,000 tons were allocated,” said a director of an international export company.
If production declines, CCC officials will prioritize domestic grinders for the mid-crop.
