ACCRA, May 13 (Reuters) - Cocoa purchases declared by private buyers to Ghana's Cocobod industry regulator reached 598,418.8 tonnes in the first 28 weeks of the 2007-08 main crop, 13 percent up on last year, Cocobod data showed on Tuesday.

Purchases for week 28 ending May 1 were 14,169 tonnes, up from 9,911 tonnes in the previous week and well above the 6,458 tonnes purchased in week 28 of the 2006-07 season, according to Cocobod data seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Cocobod bought 528,298.7 tonnes of cocoa during the first 28 weeks of the previous 2006/07 season main crop. (Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo; Editing by Alistair Thomson)