BY AFP
The west African country is racking up record harvests for cocoa and cashew nuts of which it is a top global producer. New policies aimed at “modernising agriculture” and “making it more competitive” are bearing fruit and at the same time providing a bigger income for farmers, said Siaka Coulibaly, the chief of staff to the agriculture minister.
At the beginning of October the government proudly announced a record cocoa crop for a market that has been boosted by growing demand for chocolate in Asia. Ivory Coast is the top producer with 35 percent of global cocoa output.The 1.74 million tons of cocoa harvested in the 2013-2014 season beat the previous record of 1.51 million tons set in 2010-2011.
Favourable weather conditions have also contributed to the success of the planting gains.
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