Ivory Coast to boost cocoa grinding capacity with new plants

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will increase the amount of cocoa it processes domestically to 49% of production starting from October 2023 with the addition of several new plants, the head of the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) said on Friday.

Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa producer with annual production of about 2.2 million tonnes. Currently about 35-40% is processed in country and the rest exported.

The state has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of a new plant in San Pedro with a grinding capacity of 120,000 tonnes, said Yves Brahima Kone, director general of the CCC.

It also expects two new factories financed by China to enter into production in October, he said.

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Mark Potter and Alexander Winning)