Time For More Work

It is no more a secret that Ivory Coast is the highest producer of cocoa in the world. With a 2.1 million metric tons of cocoa beans each year, the country is an indispensable actor as far as cocoa production is concern. After several promises and demands by farmers, the government over the weekend heard the people’s cry by announcing an increase in the prices of cocoa. Practically, the fixed farmgate price paid to cocoa farmers per kilogramme for the 2023/2024 season, has moved up from 900 per kilo last season to 1,000 francs.
Though the 11% increase announced by the government falls short of the 44% expected by the farmers, many are of the opinion that the increase is a major moral booster to the farmers. Reasons why they don’t just need to get back to work, but to redouble their efforts to avoid another significant drop of 20% of cocoa production for the past season due to challenging weather conditions and supply chain issues that have affected the global demand. It is by doing so that the Ivory Coast government that is working together with Ghana to secure a better deal for cocoa exports through the creation of the Living Income Differential (w...