U.S. agribusiness trader Cargill aims to purchase 100,000 metric tons of certified Ivorian cocoa this season, up slightly from 95,000 metric tons last season, West Africa managing director Lionel Soulard said on Thursday. The mid-crop in the world's top cocoa grower started officially on April 1 and farmers have forecast a strong harvest, due to good weather. Certified cocoa are premium beans destined for export markets and grown under strict conditions. "This year, we have bought 90,000 metric tons of certified cocoa. There are still six months left and we could be at 100,000 metric tons of certified cocoa by the end of the season," Soulard told journalists.