Ivory Coast Detains Cocoa Union Leaders Over Alleged Stockpile Claims
Source: Reuters | Feb 3, 2026
Authorities in Ivory Coast have detained two leaders of cocoa farmers’ unions following allegations that they spread false information about large quantities of unsold cocoa stocks, claims that unsettled markets during the peak harvest period.
The union leaders had alleged that around 700,000 metric tons of cocoa beans from the previous season remained unsold, raising concerns over demand and contributing to volatility in global cocoa prices.
However, the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) firmly rejected the claims, calling them “completely impossible and untrue.” CCC Managing Director Yves Brahima Koné said the statements were misleading and may have been manipulated by unidentified actors seeking to destabilize the cocoa sector, which accounts for roughly 40% of Ivory Coast’s export earnings.
Koné confirmed that the CCC has filed a legal complaint, prompting an investigation into what it described as deliberate misinformation aimed at disrupting the market during a critical phase of the harvest.
Ivory Coast’s main cocoa harvest runs from October to March and is expected to total around 1.4 million metric tons this season. According to the CCC, approximately 300,000 tons are typically delivered between January and March, leaving no realistic basis for claims of massive unsold inventories.
“This is entirely impossible,” Koné said, noting that by end-December, more than 1.1 million metric tons had already been delivered to ports.
The lawyer representing the detained union leaders said his clients have been placed in gendarmerie custody following a complaint by the CCC for defamation and the dissemination of false information. He added that they have provided their own accounts regarding the accusations.
Market participants said the claims caused widespread confusion across the cocoa industry. Exporters noted that the allegations emerged at a time when purchasing activity was already at its seasonal peak.
“It shocked the entire sector,” said one exporter based in Abidjan. “We were already near the height of harvest and purchases, and more than a million tons had already been delivered. The suggestion that output was far higher than expected was not credible.”
Another European cocoa executive said the statements contributed to market instability at a particularly sensitive moment for global cocoa supply and pricing.
