Ivorian cocoa prices mixed

mouldy beans weighed in some regions, while purchases picked up elsewhere, farmers and exporters said.
The world’s largest grower is gradually stabilising after months of post-election turmoil brought the industry to a halt amid fighting and a ban on cocoa exports, which ended only in April. A purchasing manager of a European cocoa exporter said the average price at the port of Abidjan for beans of good quality was around US$1,87 per kg, around the top end of the price range for the week before.
But poor quality beans squeezed prices for some sellers, he said. “There has been a pick-up in activity. However, there was lots of moisture in the deliveries – so much so that many of the sellers were not able to get the prices they were asking for,” said the manager, who asked not to be named.
In the eastern region of Abengourou, near the border with Ghana, farmers said the average price fell to 650 CFA francs, from 700-750 CFA francs the previous week. – Reuters.