Cocoa grindings in Germany and across Europe remain impacted by ongoing high commodity pricing

pic: Shutterstock
Germany’s Confectionery trade body the BDSI has confirmed figures revealing a 7.6% drop in cocoa processing for the 10 bean-based companies in the country during the closing months of last year, as the sector faces renewed supply chain challenges, writes Neill Barston.
According to the organisation’s latest results, a total of 90,066.0 tons of cocoa was ground in the 4th quarter of 2024, with companies operating in the sector contending with skyrocketing prices that saw the key confectionery commodity trading hands on ICE agricultural terminals at around $12,000 per tonne at the end of last year.
However, despite the setback seen in the closing quarter, the BDSI reported a degree of hope, with an initially positive development in the first quarters, cocoa grinding in Germany rose by 1.3% to 397,969.2tn in 2024 as a whole.
While conditions in within Germany had shown some signs of improving in the early period of the year, the pattern in the rest of Europe had been challenging, with the downward trend of the last few quarters continuing.
The European Cocoa Organisation (ECA) reports at www.eurococoa.com for the 4th quarter of 2024 that 331,853 t of raw cocoa were ground. This corresponds to a decrease of 5.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
Challenges within the sector were underlined in the past week, as previously reported, the Hershey Company sought permission to buy nine times the presently permitted volume of cocoa (90,000 metric tons), on the ICE commodities terminal. This comes as figures for the ingredient rose back up to $12,000 a tonne in the last month.
The prices for the commodity have remained high this month, with a number of small and medium-sized chocolate manufacturers expressing concern over the continued comparatively high prices, which has significantly affected their operating margins. The issue is set to feature among core conversations taking place at the upcoming ISM and ProSweets events in Chocoa as well as at Chocoa in Amsterdam next month.