The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has reduced the purchase price of cocoa for the mid-season harvest from 2,800 CFA francs per kilogram to 1,200 CFA francs, representing a cut of more than 57 percent.
The adjustment applies to the March–August mid-crop season, following the higher price announced at the start of the main harvest in October. Bruno Koné, the country’s Minister of Agriculture, said on Wednesday that the decision was influenced by a steep decline in global cocoa prices, which have dropped by nearly 70 percent since December.
According to the minister, the government-set price of 1,200 CFA francs per kilogram is intended to cushion farmers against the sharp downturn in the international market. Maintaining this guaranteed price will require a state subsidy estimated at 231.247 billion CFA francs, equivalent to about 410.2 million US dollars.
The 2025–2026 cocoa season has also been affected by marketing challenges, with authorities taking steps to clear more than 100,000 tonnes of unsold cocoa currently held by producers or stored at the port of Abidjan.
Côte d’Ivoire remains the world’s largest cocoa producer, accounting for nearly 45 percent of global output and producing more than two million tonnes of cocoa beans annually.