• Coffee, cocoa price slump leaves 1,500 tonnes unsold in Togo
• Cocoa prices fall sharply, halving exports year-on-year
• Sector urges coordinated losses to clear stocks, revive trade

A sharp drop in international coffee and cocoa prices is putting heavy pressure on Togo’s economy, as the two commodities are among the country’s main export earners. The downturn has left about 1,500 tons of stocks unsold, according to the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors (CCFCC).

In response to the growing concern, the CCFCC held a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Lomé. The meeting brought together producers, buyers, exporters and processors to assess the causes of the crisis and identify possible solutions. Participants said the buildup of unsold stocks is mainly due to the sudden collapse in prices, which has stalled commercial transactions.

Over the past few months, prices have fallen sharply. Cocoa prices dropped from 5,525 CFA francs per kilogram to 2,240 CFA francs today. This steep decline has left many operators holding large volumes of unsold coffee and cocoa.

For Enselme Gouthon, secretary general of the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors, the volatility stems from last year’s surge. “Prices had risen sharply due to the decline in production in the main producing countries, notably Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana,” he explained.

That poor performance was linked, he said, to the effects of climate change, as well as aging plantations and an aging farming workforce. “Today, prices have gone from 600 CFA francs per kilogram to 200 CFA francs, or even less on the market,” he added.

According to CCFCC statistics, as of Jan. 28, 2025, more than 10,000 tons of cocoa beans had already been exported by Togo. On the same date in 2026, exports stand at around 5,000 tons. This illustrates the scale of the slowdown in exports.

To ease the logjam, the Committee is urging all players across the supply chain to make short-term efforts. “Producers, buyers and exporters must agree to lose a little in order to release existing stocks and restore fluidity to the market,” the CCFCC recommends. The concerted approach should allow for a gradual recovery in trade and help stabilize the sector.

Esaïe Edoh