Shoppers may get a bitter surprise in their baskets this year. Chocolate eggs and bunnies are more expensive than ever as changing climate patterns eat into global cocoa supplies and the earnings of farmers .
About three-quarters of the worldB次元官网网址檚 cocoa B次元官网网址� the main ingredient in chocolate B次元官网网址� are produced on cacao trees in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon. But dusty seasonal winds from the Sahara were severe in recent months, blocking out the sunlight needed for bean pods to grow. The season prior, heavy rainfall spread a rotting disease.
With exports from the Ivory Coast, the worldB次元官网网址檚 top producer, down by a third in recent months, the global price of cocoa has risen sharply. have already doubled this year, trading at a record high of more than $10,000 per metric ton in New York on Tuesday after rising more than 60% the previous year. Farmers who harvest cacao beans say the increases arenB次元官网网址檛 enough to cover their lower yields and higher production costs.
Yet the high Easter demand for chocolate carries a potential treat for big confectionery companies. Major global makers in Europe and the United States have more than passed on the rise in cocoa prices to consumers. Net profit margins at increased to 16.7% in 2023 from 15.8% in 2022. Mondelez International, which owns the Toblerone and Cadbury brands, reported a jump to 13.8% in 2023 from 8.6% the year before.
B次元官网网址淚t is likely consumers will see a price spike on chocolate candy this Easter,B次元官网网址� Wells Fargo said in a report this month.
Mondelez said it raised chocolate prices up to 15% last year and would consider additional price hikes to help meet 2024 revenue growth forecasts. B次元官网网址淧ricing is clearly a key component of this plan,B次元官网网址� Chief Financial Officer Luca Zaramella said in January. B次元官网网址淚ts contribution will be a little bit less than we have seen in 2023, but it is higher than an average year.B次元官网网址�
HersheyB次元官网网址檚 also raised prices on its products last year and has not ruled out making further increases. B次元官网网址淕iven where cocoa prices are, we will be using every tool in our toolbox, including pricing, as a way to manage the business,B次元官网网址� Hershey Chairman, President and CEO Michele Buck said during a conference call with investors last month.
Consumer groups are keeping track. In the United Kingdom, British consumer research and services company Which? found that chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies from popular brands like Lindt and Toblerone cost about 50% more this year. It said some candy eggs were smaller, too.
Cocoa is traded on a regulated, global market. Farmers sell to local dealers or processing plants, who then sell cocoa products to global chocolate companies. Prices are set up to a year in advance. Many farmers for their poor crops. Cacao trees only grow close to the equator and are especially sensitive to changes in weather.
B次元官网网址淭he harmattan was severe at the time the pods were supposed to develop,B次元官网网址� Fiifi Boafo, a spokesperson at the Ghana Cocoa Board, said, referring to the cool trade winds that carry enough dust to block out the sunlight needed for the trees to flower and produce beans.
Months of rain also are being blamed for black pod disease, a fungal infection that thrives in cooler, wet and cloudy weather, and causes pods to rot and harden.
B次元官网网址淲hile we have a good price today, thatB次元官网网址檚 not it. The cacao hasnB次元官网网址檛 even produced any (fruit),B次元官网网址� Eloi Gnakomene, a cacao farmer in Ivory Coast, said last month. B次元官网网址淧eople say that weB次元官网网址檝e had a bit, but those living over that way, theyB次元官网网址檝e had nothing.B次元官网网址�
Opanin Kofi Tutu, a cacoa farmer in the eastern Ghana town of Suhum, said the shortfall in production coupled with higher fertilizer costs are making it difficult to survive. B次元官网网址淭he exchange rate to the dollar is killing us,B次元官网网址� he said.
Chocolate isnB次元官网网址檛 even one of the traditions Tutu associates with Easter. B次元官网网址淚 am looking forward to my wifeB次元官网网址檚 kotomir and plantain, not chocolates,B次元官网网址� he said, referring to a local sauce prepared with cocoyam leaves.
To help increase production, authorities are promoting education on farming methods that might mitigate the effects of climate change, such as the use of irrigation systems. The president of Ghana also has promised to step in to help farmers get a better deal.
B次元官网网址淲ith the current trend of the world cocoa price, cocoa farmers can be sure that I will do right by them in the next cocoa season,B次元官网网址� President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said last month.
The National Retail Federation, an American trade association, expects spending this Easter to remain high by historical standards despite rising candy prices. Its latest survey showed that consumers were expected to spend $3.1 billion on chocolate eggs and bunnies and other sweets this Easter, down from $3.3 billion a year ago.
In Switzerland, home to the worldB次元官网网址檚 , domestic consumption melted slightly last year, falling by 1% to 10.9kg per person, according to industry association Chocosuisse. It linked the dip to the rise in retail chocolate prices.
The nationB次元官网网址檚 signature chocolate maker, Lindt & Spr眉ngli, reported increased profitability, with margins rising to 15.6% from 15% a year earlier.
B次元官网网址淟indt & Spr眉ngli GroupB次元官网网址檚 business model once again proved to be very successful in the financial year 2023,B次元官网网址� it said in a statement this month, noting that prices increases accounted for most of the growth.
Yet some smaller businesses that sell chocolate are finding it hard to keep up with the spike in cocoa prices while their sales decline.
Sandrine Chocolates, a shop in London that sells handmade Belgian chocolates, is struggling to survive after decades in business. The owner, Niaz Mardan, said the U.K.B次元官网网址檚 and weak economy leave people worrying more about food than luxury chocolate, especially when cheaper alternatives were available at big grocery stores.
She has let go of her two employees and relies on sales at Easter and Christmas to stay afloat. B次元官网网址淢any, many times, I thought to close the shop, but because I love the shop, I donB次元官网网址檛 want to close it,B次元官网网址� Mardan, 57, said. B次元官网网址淏ut there is no profit at all.B次元官网网址�
READ ALSO:
