The high cost of this raw material, which this year reached its all-time high, will affect the cost of chocolate production in the world.
A report prepared by Reuters reveals the concern in their sales of the chocolate manufacturers Hershey's and Mondelez due to the rise in the price of cocoa, which this year reached its all-time high.
According to the news agency, although the demand for chocolate in the last two years has been maintained despite suffering an increase of up to 20% in its price, this scenario could change drastically due to this new increase of the value of its main raw material, cocoa, influenced this year by the loss of crops in Ghana and the Ivory Coast due to the rains.
sales fall
In the first half of this year, Mondelez's chocolate sales volume growth weakened substantially, from 14,8% in the four weeks to February 25 to 3,2% in the four weeks to July 15.
While Hershey's sales volumes declined in this same period as the company raised prices.
“We are seeing that consumers begin to react more than before. I would be very cautious about price increases," Dan Sadler, a candy expert at US-based market research firm IRI, told Reuters.
For its part, Barry Callebau, the world's largest chocolate maker that supplies most major brands including Nestlé, does not expect any growth in sales volumes this year.
In July it reported that volumes fell 2,7% in the nine months ended May 31.
