Cocoa futures hover near 1-year high on West Africa supply worries
Cocoa futures traded around $6,600 per tonne, near the highest since September 2025. Concerns center on West African crops in Ivory Coast and Ghana, where weather and disease are affecting bean quality and next-season production forecasts.
Cocoa futures traded around $6,600 per tonne, holding close to their highest since September 2025, amid mounting concerns over West African supply.
This year’s cocoa crops in top producers Ivory Coast and Ghana have been hit by cloudy weather and limited sunshine, creating conditions favorable for black pod disease and hurting bean quality.
The outlook for the upcoming crop is also uncertain due to excessive wetness, disease and limited access to chemicals, with risks potentially compounded by an unusually strong El Niño.
Production forecasts for major growers have been lowered, with Ivory Coast’s output expected to fall by about 20% to 1.75 million tonnes and Ghana’s to decline 13% to 650,000 tonnes next season.
Elsewhere, farmers in Cameroon are struggling with shortages of chemicals to control pests and diseases, while floods have disrupted cocoa farming in Nigeria.