Congolese agricultural authorities on Tuesday began seizing unfermented cocoa beans in the Mambasa territory of Ituri province, local media reported.

The operation, carried out by the Office National des Produits Agricoles (ONAPAC), aims to stop practices that are hurting cocoa quality in the region. The decision follows resolutions adopted at the second general assembly of coffee and cocoa farmers held in October.

ONAPAC will be assisted by the Local Council for Coffee, Cocoa, and Other Agricultural Products for Rural Development, the anti-fraud unit of the Congolese National Police, and the Mambasa Peace Court to enforce the regulations.

Other measures will also take effect, local media said. These include a formal ban on roaming, informal buying practices to combat fraud, curb unfair competition, and improve traceability. Buyer identification will also be required to secure transactions and strengthen accountability in the supply chain.

The measures come amid a sharp drop in cocoa prices in October. Local media reported that the price per kilogram fell from 20,000 Congolese francs to 6,000 francs in several buying houses in Mambasa and Irumu.

While global prices have been affected by a production recovery in West Africa, part of the local collapse is due to quality issues. Dieudonne Kambale, an agronomist with ESCO Kivu, quoted by 7sur7.cd, said the region’s cocoa suffers from insufficient fermentation. Although beans should ferment for about a week, many producers dry them directly in the sun for only two to three days before selling.

The head of the local buyers’ association for agricultural and perennial products, Mumbere Musumba Jackson, made the same point in July.

Timothée Manoke