Ice-cream lovers are facing worrying times as the twin threat of a surge in price of cocoa and Cyclone Gamane threaten to hike prices. Image: Pixabay
Ice-cream lovers are facing worrying times as the twin threat of a surge in price of cocoa and Cyclone Gamane threaten to hike prices.
Ice-cream lovers are facing worrying times as the twin threat of a surge in price of cocoa and Cyclone Gamane threaten to hike prices. Image: Pixabay
Ice-cream lovers are facing worrying times as the surge in price of cocoa and Cyclone Gamane threaten to hike prices.
According to the Bloomberg website, Madagascar’s vanilla-growing region has been badly affected by Cyclone Gamane, whose rain and high winds have flooded fields and stripped vanilla pods from their vines.
Georges Geeraerts, president of the Indian Ocean island’s union of vanilla exporters, said the deluge could halve the vanilla harvest.
“On a bad year, production is about 1 500 tons compared with a range of 2 000 to 2 500 tons,” Geeraerts said.
“A conservative estimate, ahead of more detailed analysis from the growing region, means that the output for the current harvest could be as low as 1 000 tons.”
Meanwhile, West Africa’s cocoa producers have seen yields collapse from heavy rain and disease, more than tripling prices to as much as $10 000 (R187 000) per metric ton – as reported by The South African website.
Here’s what’s happened with the cocoa price so far this year:
The above factors have forced chocolate makers to raise prices for customers.
Those who recently spent time shopping for Easter eggs would no doubt have noticed the marked increase in price of your favourite chocolate.