An additional 975 tonnes of soluble coffee was exported from the main port Abidjan in April 1999, slightly down on April 1998 soluble coffee exports of 1,060 tonnes.

The April exports of 26,454 tonnes from Abidjan and 3,476 tonnes from San Pedro took the cumulative 1998/99 export total to 63,918 tonnes, against 140,813 tonnes by April 1998 -- a reflection of a fall in production following drought which stemmed from the El Nino weather effect.

Shippers estimated arrivals at Ivory Coast's port warehouses of 1998/99 coffee at around 160,000 tonnes by May 30, of which 23,000 tonnes went to Nestle's Capral soluble coffee factory in Abidjan. Port sources say shipments in May could have been around 35,000 tonnes, which would take the cumulative export total to around 100,000 tonnes. As Nestle took23,000 tonnes, around 37,000 tonnes of coffee was left at port warehouses by May 30.Buyers say there is hardly any 1998/99 coffee coming in anymore. "Coffee? There is no more. I only have 30 tonnes in stock, while I normally have 700 or even 1,000 tonnes around this time," a leading coffee and cocoa buyer told Reuters by telephone from San Pedro.