Ivory Coast: SYNAPCI maintains cocoa strike at 1,200 FCFA

The SYNAPCI has upheld its strike order in the coffee-cocoa sector and has instructed its representatives in Haut-Sassandra to keep purchasing stores closed until further notice. The union contests the guaranteed minimum price for cocoa, set at 1,200 FCFA per kilogram for the 2026-2027 campaign.

On Saturday, September 19, in Bédiala, the regional coordinator of SYNAPCI, Koné Zakaria, conveyed the directives from the national leadership to the farmers. The union is demanding an increase in the farm gate price and the resignation of the Director General of the Coffee-Cocoa Council, Yves Brahima Koné. Union officials assert that some producers still have stocks that they are struggling to sell.

The movement was initiated in Daloa on September 13. In the Moronou region, producers from Arrah announced their support for the indefinite strike on September 17. They cite marketing difficulties, indebtedness, and incomplete payments. Some specifically claim that beans delivered during the previous campaign have not been fully paid.

The Ivorian government set the guaranteed minimum price for cocoa at 1,200 FCFA per kilogram on September 1 for the main campaign of 2026-2027. A year earlier, the main campaign of 2025-2026 had started at a record price of 2,800 FCFA per kilogram, before reverting to 1,200 FCFA for the interim campaign that began in March 2026. Authorities justified maintaining the current level due to the high volatility of global prices.

A dispute amid new traceability requirements

The standoff also comes at a time when the National Traceability System has become mandatory for cocoa purchases. Launched on a large scale since September 1 with the producer card, the system is contested by the president of SYNAPCI, Koné Moussa. The Coffee-Cocoa Council, on the other hand, asserts that the system is functioning normally and does not exhibit the malfunctions reported by the union.

The cocoa sector directly impacts the rural income of the country. According to figures provided by Ivorian authorities during the marketing calendar reform, approximately 1.2 million producers cultivate cocoa, and nearly eight million people depend on it for their livelihoods. The main campaign, which opened on September 1, is set to run until February 28.

In Haut-Sassandra, regional SYNAPCI officials have instructed their delegates to maintain the closure of purchasing stores until further notice. In Arrah, within the Moronou region, farmers announced their adherence to the same strike order on September 17.