Koffikro, July 16 - Farmers in Ivory Coast's western cocoa heartland are hoping polls later this year will finally pacify the world's top producer and allow them to boost output with better security and renewed state support.
Fears of violence are fresh after dissident rebels briefly seized several western towns last month, threatening to disrupt long-awaited elections due in November which should complete a peace process after a 2002/03 war divided the country.
Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo visited the trouble-hit region on Monday and said the polls were on track. Rebel boss Guillaume Soro, who became prime minister under a March 2007 peace deal, also confirmed funds were available for the polls.
"There was the uprising by the rebel fighters. The population was very scared. Some were forced to abandon their fields," said Koffikro village chief and farmer Koffi Kouakou.
"Today, all our prayers are for peace," he added, sitting on a stool in the shade of a tree. "We pray the elections will finally take place so we can go work in our fields."
The elections are due on Nov. 30, having been delayed several times during a stop-start peace process.
Kouakou, who farms 17 hectares of cocoa, complained his yields had dropped by over half as divisions and insecurity meant he no longer received government agricultural support services during the country's crisis.
Like other farmers and exporters, the 56-year-old said transporting products had become expensive as the military ran rackets collecting money at roadblocks.
CAMPAIGN
Ivory Coast's army chief launched a campaign in May to stop extortion by soldiers and the government is trying to re-establish state authorities in the north, which the rebels have controlled since the war began, dividing the country.
Hopes for peace have increased after last year's deal and United Nations and French peacekeepers have pulled back from a buffer zone in the middle of the country. They are being replaced by joint units of government and rebel troops.
But critics like resource watchdog Global Witness say the cocoa industry was central to the conflict and that some rebels continue illegal taxation while advocating the normalisation of revenue collection.
Despite assertions that polls are on track, diplomats and analysts also warn that sensitive tasks such as identifying the population, establishing a voter register and disarmament must take place for credible polls to be held.
Ivory Coast usually produces more than 1 million tonnes of cocoa beans a year, accounting for about 40 percent of export revenue and 15 percent of gross domestic product.
Peaceful and successful polls, however, are likely to boost confidence and encourage farmers to increase the amount of crops they plant.
"We wanted to increase the size of our farm," said cocoa farmer Pascal Bi Hue. "But after the beginning of the war we abandoned that idea because we never knew if there would be trouble that would make us flee."
"We have the land ... We are really waiting for the elections to normalise our activities but we ask ourselves if they will be peaceful (or) if they will bring trouble to our region," he added.