creased rna rqi rally from 9. 3 per cent to 12.3 per cer.t. 41. Turni r:q new to the most recent tre r:<ls, cocoa production in developinq Afrlca increased by 0.8 per cent from 986,000 tcnnes in ·1980 to 994,000 tonr;es in 1981. Over the same pericd, the \.lholesale price ir:dex {1975 = 100) declined from 183.7 tc 146.8, and consequently total export earninqs declined fror.1 $2.0 uillicr: in 1980 to $1.& billion in 1981. 42. Production of cocoa i r:. the rna jor produci r'q countries has beer> very variable, dependinq particularly 011 the a:nount <' Jd dis­ tribution of rainfall, the use of fertilizers a1 :l insecticides and the prices paid to producers. 43. In the Ivory Coast, the major African proC,ucer c cocoa, productior; j ncreased f rem 401,000 tonnes in 19BO tc 408, c-;o ton- 43 E/ECA/Ci ~. 9/5 nes in 1981. Farmers there enjoy various incentives which are not available in the other African cocca-producinc ccur:tries. For insta r.ce, in addition tc raisinq producer prices frcm. time to time, the Gcvernme nt provides fu rds fer the re Pewal c·f pla rts a r:d assists in introduci nq hybric1 varieties. 44. Cocoa production in Niqeria rose sliqhtly from 155,000 tcn­ nes in 1980 tc 160, 000 tonnes in 1981, but vias still tar bel ow the 382,000-tcnne ar:rual averaqe attained in 1969-1971. The qeneral decli1~e in cocoa production in Niqeria is too \lell kna:,;r. to need additional emphasis. vHth the adver.t of the era of petroleum-led qravth, traditicr.al aqricultural exports such as cccca have been scrnevhat overlooKed. Of late, hC:Itlever, the Goverr;me r.t has era nted aaricul ture the status cf a "favoured sec­ tor". Year Ghara Table IV.A.ll Indexes of producer prices f cr cocoa (1970 = 100) Ivery Coast Niqeria U r:i ted Republic 