* Ghana cocoa purchases 41.4 pct up on the year
* Regulator says no impact of Ivorian smuggling
ACCRA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ghana's declared cocoa purchases are up 41.4 percent on the same period last season, sources said, but the country's industry regulator said the tally was not being boosted by smuggling from Ivory Coast.
Purchases by private cocoa buyers to the regulator, Cocobod, reached 685,461 tonnes by Feb. 3, industry sources said.
Total purchases for the week, the eighteenth since the season began in October, dropped to 9,510 tonnes, down from 10,983 tonnes in week 17 and 21,252 tonnes in week 16, pointing to the main crop tailing off, officials said.
There is keen interest in Ghana's crop as supplies from top grower and neighbour Ivory Coast dry up due to an export ban and sanctions caused by a disputed election.
Speculation is mounting that Ivorian beans are being increasingly smuggled into Ghana, the world's No. 2 exporter.
But Cocobod Chief Executive Tony Fofie reiterated that the increase in this year's output was the result of improved farming techniques and favourable weather conditions.
"There is no significant record of Ivory Coast cocoa coming to Ghana so far -- it seems our rigorous monitoring system is working," Fofie said, repeating earlier warnings that beans found not to be of Ghanaian quality would not be paid for.
"We have held meetings with the LBCs (licensed buying companies) and they know the consequences of accepting Ivorian beans - we told them the entire world was watching and we will suffer if we don't protect the quality of our beans," he added.
While Ivory Coast has long been the top grower, Ghana has enjoyed a premium price for its beans because of their quality.
Farmers and buyers also said any inflow was minimal and any Ivorian beans were probably being smuggled through Liberia and Togo.
Ghana's current main crop is expected to last 33 weeks and will be followed by the smaller light crop which could last up to 11 weeks.
Cocobod Deputy Chief Executive Yaw Adu-Ampomah told Reuters purchases were winding down but could pick up again around April-May just before the end of the main crop.
"The crop is tailing off and it's normal," he said, adding that output would "definitely" reach the 800,000-tonne target for the year.
Cocobod has outlined a medium-term target of harvesting 1 million tonnes of cocoa by the 2012/13 season through increased fertilization, enhanced farm husbandry and offering farmers attractive incentives.
Source: (Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo; editing by David Lewis and Keiron Henderson) ((dakar.newsroom@reuters.com; +221 33 864 5076))
