Ghana's cocoa exports fall to 33,000 tonnes in November, down from 90,000 tonnes in October as major shippers dispute over port fees

Andrew Rogers

LOS ANGELES , December 21, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – Ghana’s cocoa exports dropped to 33,000 tonnes in November from 90,000 tonnes in October amid a dispute over port fees, Reuters reported Dec. 21.

The country’s cocoa shipments are working at a slow pace because of differences between major shippers and port authorities, but talks are currently taking place to resolve the dispute, Tony Fofie, head of cocoa regulator Cocobod said.

Large shipping companies, including Safmarine, A.P. Moller-Maersk, and Delmas are reportedly disputing a port-handling fee that was introduced earlier this year and are refusing to take on cocoa in protest.

Ghana had a record harvest of more than 1 million tonnes of cocoa during the 2010-2011 season and is forecast to see output decline to between 850,000 and 900,000 tonnes this season.

The primary source of this article is Reuters, London, England, on Dec. 21, 2011.

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