Cocoa arrivals at ports in Ivory Coast reached 1,139,405 tonnes between October 1, 2004 and July 18, 2005, according to an estimate by major exporters seen by Reuters on Thursday. That compared with 1,281,751 tonnes delivered to ports in the same period of the 2003/04 season, industry data showed. The figures showed that 13,971 tonnes arrived at ports between July 12-18.
A buyer for a leading US exporter based in Abidjan said volumes of beans arriving at ports had increased this week as some merchants reimbursed loans they owed to exporters with cocoa rather than cash.
However, he said other buyers, including those who had settled their accounts with exporters, were now likely to stock beans they purchased as the season draws to an end in order to benefit from higher prices at the start of the next campaign.
"There's still more cocoa in the bush which will keep coming in August until the warehouses close down for maintenance. But there will only be small quantities (at the ports) because buyers prefer to keep some of their cocoa for October," he said.
The director of a European exporter based in Abidjan said higher prices at ports this week, nudged upwards by violence and tension in the world's top grower, had nonetheless encouraged merchants to deliver their beans to the ports.
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