Ivory Coast Expands Cocoa Export Licences as Weather Improves and Farmers Await New Prices
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producer, has granted export licences to 109 companies and cooperatives for the 2025/26 season, a modest increase from 106 in the previous cycle, according to a document from the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC). The decision comes as improved weather brightens the outlook for the country’s main crop harvest, while farmers await the announcement of new guaranteed farmgate prices.
The licences cover some of the biggest names in the global cocoa trade and chocolate manufacturing, including Olam, CEMOI, Barry Callebaut, Touton, Sucden, Nestlé, and Cargill. Their participation underscores Ivory Coast’s central role in a sector that supplies about 40% of the world’s cocoa beans.
Market Management and Price Strategy
The CCC, which regulates cocoa marketing and exports, is maintaining its long-standing policy of pre-selling between 70% and 80% of the forecast harvest. This strategy is designed to provide revenue stability and set the guaranteed farmgate price that farmers receive.
In August, the regulator scaled back export contract sales for the October-to-March main crop to 1.2 million tons, down from 1.3 million tons earlier in the year, after prolonged dry spells and heat raised concerns about production. By early September, however, 950,000 tons had already been sold forward for 2025/26, leaving 250,000 tons still to be contracted before the end of the month.
Farmers Hold Back Beans
While exporters prepare for the new season, many farmers are holding on to their stocks. Cooperative managers say growers are waiting for the CCC to set the new guaranteed farmgate price, expected in late September or early October. Farmers are hoping for an increase from the current rate of 2,200 CFA francs ($3.58) per kilogram, particularly after a season of volatile market prices and shifting weather conditions.
Weather Brings Relief
Concerns over high flower and cherelle mortality earlier in the year had cast doubt on production prospects. However, above-average rainfall since July has significantly improved expectations. Farmers in key growing regions report that the rains are strengthening pod development and should translate into healthier, higher-yielding trees.
If rainfall continues through October, the bulk of the main crop is projected to be harvested between November and December. Producers anticipate good-quality beans with larger sizes, which could boost both domestic revenues and international supply.
Impact on Global Prices
News of improved conditions in Ivory Coast has already reverberated through international markets. Cocoa futures in New York recently dropped to a 10.5-month low, while London prices fell to their lowest level in more than two months. Analysts say the prospect of stronger West African output is easing concerns over global shortages that had driven prices to historic highs earlier in the year.
Ivory Coast’s rainy season, which runs from April to mid-November, is still in progress and will be critical in determining the final size and quality of the harvest. With export licences now in place and pre-sales continuing, attention is shifting to the CCC’s upcoming price announcement—a decision that will directly affect millions of farmers who rely on cocoa for their livelihoods.
For global traders and chocolate makers, the stakes remain high: the balance between local pricing policy, farmer supply behavior, and international demand will shape the market in the crucial months ahead.
