By Kwasi Kpodo
ACCRA (Reuters) - Cocoa output from world No. 2 grower Ghana is running 45 percent higher than last year, according to official figures on Thursday.
Declared purchases by private cocoa buyers to Ghana's industry regulator Cocobod -- the best reflection of output in the West African state -- reached 753,945 tonnes by March 31 since the start of the season in October.
That is up 45 percent over the 518,304 tonnes registered in the same period last year, and ahead of the full-season record of 740,000 tonnes posted in 2005-06.
Ghana is the world's second-largest cocoa grower behind neighbouring Ivory Coast, and is seeking to ramp up production to 1 million tonnes by 2012 through enhanced farm husbandry, fertiliser application and farmer incentives.
Cocobod is targeting a record output of at least 850,000 tonnes of cocoa this crop year.
There were reports of smuggled cocoa flowing into Ghana from top grower Ivory Coast where political unrest as a result of election dispute has paralysed its cocoa industry.
But Cocobod officials have denied the reports, saying any such inflows would not be more than 40,000 tonnes.
Total purchases for the twenty-sixth week of the season rose to 10,336 tonnes from 9,373 tonnes in week 25.
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