- Title: IVORY COAST: Cocoa exports resumed after crisis
- Date: 9th May 2011
- Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (MAY 8, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ABIDJAN PORT WITH MACHINE LIFTING COCOA SACKS VARIOUS OF SACKS OF COCOA ON THE QUAY VARIOUS OF MORE OF SACKS BEING LIFTED AND LOADED ONTO BOAT VARIOUS OF SACKS INSIDE THE BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (French) SAYDOU TRAORE, SHIPPING AGENT, SAYING: "This is the first boat to arrive since we received the OK to start loading. It needs to pick up 1,700 tonnes here, then it will go to the port of Saint Pedro to load another 7,500 tonnes there." VARIOUS OF SACKS OF COCOA BEING TRANSPORTED FROM THE WAREHOUSE TO THE QUAY VARIOUS OF PORT WORKER CHECKING THE COCOA SACKS ON THE QUAY, HOLDING A DOCUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (French) TRAORE GNADIMON, BOLLORE AFRICA LOGISTICS OFFICIAL, SAYING: "The cocoa, once it's here and already declared, it's absolutely of good quality, because looking at the documents we have received, the cocoa is good, it respects the loading quality parameters." VARIOUS OF WAREHOUSE WITH COCOA SACKS, PORT WORKERS LOADING COCOA SACKS ONTO PALLETS (SOUNDBITE) (French) CAPTAIN IDRISSA DOSSO, HEAD OF OPERATIONS AT ABIDJAN PORT, SAYING: "The infrastructure hasn't been affected during this crisis. That's already an achievement so the port is fully operational. We are able to receive today all these cargo ships operationally in the port of Abidjan. Logistically it's all there, we have the people, there's no problem." VARIOUS OF QUAY WITH CARGO SHIPS AND SACKS OF COCOA (SOUNDBITE) (French) SAYDOU TRAORE, SHIPPING AGENT, SAYING: "A month ago, when you came, all the quay posts were free. Today, when you go around the majority of quay posts, ships are starting to come in. There is the boat we are on are right now, there are some behind this one and in front as well. And so we can say there is a real resumption and that is a great relief" SHIP SACKS OF COACOA ON THE QUAY SHIP IN QUAY SACKS IN FRONT OF QUAY
- Embargoed: 24th May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Cote d'Ivoire
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Economic News,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA341TAZVRCDU2UUNW414G8OAV
- Story Text: Ivory Coast resumed cocoa bean exports on Sunday (May 8) more than three months after they were halted by the country's violent political crisis.
Workers loaded sacks of cocoa beans onto a ship owned by Bollore Africa Logistics at Abidjan Port.
"This is the first boat to arrive since we received the OK to start loading. It needs to pick up 1,700 tonnes here, then it will go to the port of Saint Pedro to load another 7,500 tonnes there," said Saydou Traore, Bollore shipping agent.
Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, providing a third of the supply internationally.
Nearly half a million tonnes of cocoa have been held up at the West Africa country's ports by a conflict which lasted more than four months.
Bollore officials said the quality of the cocoa was good.
"The cocoa, once it's here and already declared, it's absolutely of good quality, because looking at the documents we have received, the cocoa is good, it respects the loading quality parameters," said Traore Gnadimon, a Bollore official.
"The infrastructure hasn't been affected during this crisis. That's already an achievement so the port is fully operational. We are able to receive today all these cargo ships operationally in the port of Abidjan. Logistically it's all there, we have the people, there's no problem," said Idrissa Dosso, head of operation at Abidjan port.
The violence in the country only eased this month with the arrest of former president Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to step down after November election results showing he lost.
Last week exporters resolved a row with the new government of President Alassane Ouattara over how to make customs payments, paving the way for exports to resume.
"A month ago, when you came, all the quay posts were free. Today, when you go around the majority of quay posts, ships are starting to come in. There is the boat we are on are right now, there are some behind this one and in front as well. And so we can say there is a real resumption and that is a great relief," said Saydou Traore.
Traore said the boat would head to San Pedro on Monday to pick up 7,500 tonnes of cocoa after it had finished loading the 1,796 tonnes at Abidjan. Another boat would come on May 10 to load 8,000 tonnes at San Pedro, he said.
In total, at least four boats were expected in the next few days to help ease the export backlog. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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