Côte d’Ivoire opened its main cocoa marketing season on Tuesday, September 1, alongside the introduction of a mandatory producer card under the country’s national traceability system.
The chip-enabled card is intended to identify farmers, track cocoa from farms to export markets, regulate bean flows and facilitate secure payments. More than one million producers have been registered, with over 900,000 cards distributed.
However, some industry representatives have called for a gradual rollout, warning that farmers who have not received their cards could face difficulties selling their cocoa.
The Coffee and Cocoa Council said the system would help Côte d’Ivoire comply with the European Union’s deforestation regulation, which is scheduled to take effect on January 1. The country is also expected to announce a new farmgate cocoa price for the marketing season.