The world's largest cocoa producer, which expects to have produced about 2.2 million tonnes last season, had flagged that it planned to limit output in coordination with neighbouring Ghana to contend with an oversupplied market. The two countries produce about 60% of the world's cocoa.

It was not clear exactly how the government plans to monitor production from Ivory Coast's thousands of small, independent farms, given previous struggles to stamp out illegal cocoa farming and smuggling.

However, Tuesday's announcement contained the first official mention of a specific production limit and marks a new stage in protecting revenues in West African countries.

"Our goal is to control our production," said Yves Brahima Kone, head of the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) on Tuesday. "If you produce too much, the price will go down."

CCC also said it had raised the new price it pays cocoa farmers to 825 CFA francs per kg for the 2019/20 main crop harvest, up from 750 CFA francs last season.

Ghana Cocoa Board also raised its price to 8,240 cedis ($1,528) a tonne for the 2019/20 main crop, up from 7,600 cedis last season.

Ivorian and Ghanaian farmers have complained about low prices in the past but said they were happy with the new level.

"It is a good price for us farmers," said Daouda Kante who farms 7 hectares near Soubre. "It will help us save a little money at the end of the season."

Ivory Coast and Ghana have teamed up in the past few months to impose a minimum floor price to exert more influence on international prices.

But for all their production clout they have had limited sway over prices, which have stayed low in recent years because of overproduction.

(Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Louise Heavens and David Goodman)