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Cocoa prices reach record highs: Consumers brace for impact

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Consumers around the globe could soon feel the pinch as cocoa prices soar to unprecedented levels, driven by a perfect storm of supply shortages and escalating production costs.

  • Unprecedented Cocoa Price Surge: Cocoa prices have skyrocketed to record highs, tripling in the past year and hitting $10,080 per metric ton for May delivery.

  • Severe Supply Shortages: The cocoa market is grappling with its worst supply deficit in decades, driven by production challenges in key regions like Ivory Coast and Ghana, including adverse weather and diseases.

  • Potential Impact on Consumers: Consumers may soon face higher chocolate prices or reduced product sizes (“shrinkflation”) as manufacturers grapple with soaring cocoa costs, potentially altering recipes to contain less cocoa.

The world is grappling with one of the most severe cocoa supply deficits in decades, with farmers in West Africa bearing the brunt of adverse weather conditions, rampant diseases, and aging cocoa trees.

Cocoa futures for May delivery reached an all-time intraday high of $10,080 per metric ton on Tuesday before settling slightly lower at $9,622, marking a staggering 129% increase in 2024 alone.

Over the past year, cocoa costs have more than tripled, placing immense pressure on chocolate manufacturers and raising concerns about the affordability of chocolate products for consumers.

Major players in the chocolate industry, such as Hershey, are implementing hedging strategies to mitigate the volatility in cocoa prices.

However, the National Confectioners Association acknowledges the challenges, stating that the industry is collaborating with retailers to manage costs and prevent significant price hikes for consumers.

Consumers may start to notice increase in chocolate prices.

Further shrinkflation

Analysts warn that despite the efforts to shield consumers from immediate price shocks, the impact of soaring cocoa prices is inevitable.

Paul Joules, a commodities analyst at Rabobank, predicts that consumers may start experiencing higher prices or “shrinkflation,” where chocolate bars decrease in size to offset rising production costs.

Additionally, companies might adjust recipes to use less cocoa in their products, potentially affecting the taste and quality of chocolate, especially in dark chocolate variants.

Disease plague

The surge in cocoa prices is primarily attributed to supply disruptions in key cocoa-producing nations such as Ivory Coast and Ghana, which together contribute to 60% of global cocoa production.

These countries have been plagued by diseases like black pod and swollen shoot virus, coupled with adverse weather conditions exacerbated by phenomena like El Niño and seasonal winds.

Moreover, many cocoa trees in these regions have surpassed their peak productivity, with limited efforts towards replanting since the early 2000s.

As a result, farmers are abandoning cocoa cultivation in favor of more lucrative crops like rubber, further exacerbating the supply crunch.

Ahron Young is an award winning journalist who has covered major news events around the world. Ahron is the Managing Editor and Founder of TICKER NEWS.

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Trump named Time’s 2024 Person of the Year

Trump named Time’s 2024 Person of the Year, following election win, assassination attempt survival, and felony conviction.

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Donald Trump has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2024.

This designation follows Trump’s win in the US presidential election and his survival of an assassination attempt, as well as his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

He is set to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025.

Time’s editor-in-chief, Sam Jacobs, noted that selecting Trump was straightforward, given his significant impact over the past year.

 

Trump expressed gratitude for the honor during a Wall Street event, marking his second selection as Person of the Year, the first being in 2016.

Throughout 2024, Trump experienced notable events, such as the attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally, which garnered global media attention.

Additionally, his conviction in May made him the first American president to be labeled a convicted felon, although he has yet to be sentenced.

Upcoming term

After a successful campaign, Trump celebrated his presidential election victory in November, promising to enhance the country during his upcoming term.

With this latest recognition, Trump, who has been featured on Time covers numerous times since his first in 1989, reaffirms his relationship with the publication despite past controversies, including displaying fake covers at his golf clubs.

Trump remains a prominent figure in American politics with his upcoming return to the Oval Office.

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Coalition’s nuclear plan cheaper than Labor’s renewable rollout

Coalition’s nuclear plan to save $263 billion compared to Labor’s renewables, promising cheaper electricity and lower emissions by 2050.

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The Coalition claims its nuclear power plan will save $263 billion compared to Labor’s renewable energy strategy by 2050, resulting in lower electricity costs.

Economic modelling conducted by Frontier Economics estimates the Coalition’s plan, which aims for net zero emissions by 2050, will cost $331 billion.

In contrast, Labor’s renewable energy plan is projected to cost $594 billion according to the modelling.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton plans to share these findings, stating that the analysis supports their position that Australians will benefit from the Coalition’s approach.

Dutton claims that fewer hidden costs and reduced infrastructure expenses will lead to lower energy prices.

He noted that many advanced economies are increasing their nuclear capabilities and urged Australia to do the same.

Seven plants

The Coalition’s model includes seven nuclear power plants, with renewable energy still providing 54% of the National Electricity Market by 2050 and nuclear contributing 38%.

Labor’s strategy anticipates that 94% of power generation will come from renewable energy by the same year, with 90% of coal-fired power exiting the system by 2034.

However, coal may need to operate longer in the Coalition’s scenario until nuclear power is online.

The Coalition’s plan also suggests a reduced reliance on gas due to a lower number of renewables needing stabilisation.

Dutton committed to constructing and operating seven nuclear plants, with the first expected to be operational as early as 2036.

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Tech giants face new Australian news payment policy

ByteDance joins Meta, Google in Australia’s new news payment policy; potential charges for social media platforms begin January 1.

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TikTok’s parent company ByteDance will join Meta and Alphabet in paying new levies for Australian news unless they reach agreements with publishers.

Apple and Microsoft may also be affected if their revenues in Australia exceed $250 million annually.

Labor’s policy seeks to compel Meta to negotiate after it previously refused to pay for news.

Under the proposed legislation, the Australian Taxation Office will impose an annual levy on social media and search companies, exceeding the current news media bargaining code’s value of about $200 million annually.

Companies that negotiate payments to news publishers can offset these payments against their levy.

For example, if a platform faces an $11 million levy with a 10% uplift, it must secure at least $10 million in deals to avoid paying the ATO.

News Distribution

Any shortfall between deals and the annual charge will be collected by the ATO and distributed to publishers.

Final policy details will emerge after consultations early next year.

The law takes effect on January 1, emphasizing quick negotiations with tech companies.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones clarified that the policy aims to facilitate negotiations, not increase government revenue, stating that digital platforms benefit financially from Australia and should support quality journalism.

Labor’s decision follows Meta’s refusal to renegotiate under the existing bargaining code, which could lead to significant job losses in journalism.

The Labor-controlled committee has deemed the current code “broken” and called for an alternative.

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