Abidjan – Ivory Coast, which accounts for roughly 40% of global cocoa output, is set to maintain the reduced farmgate price for the 2026/27 cocoa season, according to officials familiar with the decision. The price, first lowered in the previous marketing year as part of a broader effort to curb excess inventories and stabilize world cocoa prices, will remain unchanged for the upcoming harvest. Government sources indicated that the policy aims to protect farmer incomes while avoiding a sharp price drop that could destabilise the sector. The move comes after a period of fluctuating international cocoa prices, driven by shifting demand in key chocolate‑consuming markets and concerns over supply‑side disruptions in other producing regions.
The decision was taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and the state‑run cocoa marketing board, which jointly set the farmgate price each year after consulting farmer unions and export firms. By keeping the price steady, authorities hope to give cocoa growers a predictable revenue base, encouraging them to maintain or even increase production levels. Exporters have welcomed the continuity, noting that a stable farmgate price reduces the risk of sudden cost spikes that could erode profit margins when cocoa is sold on the world market.
