The Ivorian state has begun purchasing stocks of cocoa piled up in cooperatives to allow producers to be paid, in the face of a crisis in the sector, the regulatory body for this sector announced on Thursday.

The cocoa sector, which represents 14% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), has been in a critical situation for several weeks, with a slowdown in exports against a backdrop of liquidity problems for buyers and falling world prices, while the price set by the Ivorian State for a kilo of cocoa has reached a historic price of 2,800 CFA francs (4.27 euros).

As a consequence of this bottleneck, some of the 5 million people who live off cocoa have not received any income for several months, while most already live below the poverty line.

Last week, the government announced the purchase of cocoa stocks by the State, in collaboration with the CCC and the interprofessional organization of cocoa producers (OIA).

"This operation begins today, it will continue," announced the Director General of the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC), Yves Brahima Koné, on Thursday during a press conference in Abidjan, at the factory of the public company Transcao.

Behind him, the first trucks began to unload hundreds of burlap sacks containing cocoa beans.

The State plays an intermediary role by advancing the money necessary for the operation while waiting for the exporters to buy back the stock at a later stage, thus repaying this advance.

"We have assurances at this time that the planter will now receive the real price that the government has set," added Mr. Koné.

However, although the government estimated last week that the blocked cocoa stocks were 130,000 tonnes, the CCC did not wish to confirm this figure.

Two cocoa industry trade unionists are summoned once again on Friday by the courts, after denouncing the crisis situation.