“We will stop all trucks carrying cocoa and 72 hours from now we will also stop trucks carrying other produce,” said Christophe Gbe, president of the Ivorian Federation of Coffee and Cocoa Producers, from the commercial capital of Abidjan, today.

The West African country accounts for about two-fifths of world cocoa production. Farmers in the country receive about 40 percent of the price of cocoa traded in London and New York, while growers in neighboring Ghana, the second-biggest producer, get a price that’s equivalent to 70 percent, according to the World Bank.

“We are taking the strike call seriously,” said Etienne Aka, spokesman for the Committee of Elders, an advisory group of prominent cocoa growers that work in conjunction with the National Management Committee for Coffee and Cocoa. “We are in talks with the unions and we are asking them to suspend the strike.”

While the strike is supported by four unions, such action has in the past taken several days to gather momentum. Cocoa growers in the central region of Divo said that while they support the union demands, they are not planning to hinder the movement of cocoa trucks.

‘Won’t Participate’

“We support the unions because we have not received funding for fertilizers,” said Kagnitie Kone, a cocoa grower and labor union member. “But we will not participate.”

Cocoa farmers in the eastern Abengourou region, near the border with Ghana, said they would begin to strike tomorrow. “We are still working today, but will follow suit tomorrow morning,” said farmer Amon N’Dah by phone from the province.

Cocoa for May delivery fell 32 pounds, or 1.6 percent, to 1,931 pounds ($2,830) a metric ton as of 4:15 p.m. on the Liffe exchange in London.

To contact the reporter on this story: Pauline Bax in Abidjan via Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net