Ivory Coast's disputed President Laurent Gbagbo has ordered the government to take control of all cocoa purchases and exports.
A decree read out on state TV said the purchase from producers "will be undertaken exclusively by the state".Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognised as president, earlier called for a temporary ban on exports to try to force Mr Gbagbo from power.
Ivory Coast is the world's biggest cocoa producer.
The country's industry accounts for 40% of global supplies and is currently dominated by multinational companies.
The price of cocoa has been trading at its highest levels for a year, as supplies have been strangled by recent sanctions and the near collapse of the banking system.
The UN-backed electoral commission says Mr Ouattara won presidential elections in November, but the Constitutional Council overruled it, citing rigging in the north.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12672030
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