ABIDJAN: Ivory Coast cocoa grinders processed 469,000 tonnes of beans by the end of July, up from 457,000 tonnes in the same period last season, data from exporters' association GEPEX showed on Monday.

Grinders processed 47,000 tonnes of beans in July 2020, down from 48,000 tonnes in July 2019.

The GEPEX data cover six of the largest grinding companies, including Barry Callebaut AG, Olam International Ltd and Cargill Inc, among 12 active firms.

Ivory Coast has total grinding capacity of 712,000 tonnes.

The country is the world's top cocoa producer and vies with the Netherlands for the spot of leading grinder.