As of: March 28, 2024, 6:30 p.m
By: Carina Blumenroth
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Chocolate calms the nerves and is a pleasure to snack on. But the aftertaste is probably bitter because chocolate could become more expensive.
Sweet chocolate Easter eggs or chocolate Easter bunnies are often given away as souvenirs or small gifts. The German confectionery industry produced around 240 million chocolate bunnies, 0.5 percent more than in the previous year, according to the
industry association BDSI
. Around half of it is sold in Germany, the
MDR
informs , the rest is exported. To achieve this, consumers will probably have to dig deeper into their pockets than usual, as import prices for cocoa beans have risen sharply.
Expensive chocolate fun: Easter sweets are 92 percent more expensive than regular chocolate
Importing cocoa beans has become more expensive. Chocolate buyers may notice this too. (Symbolic image) © Imagebroker/Sauer/Imago
On average, Easter chocolate costs 92 percent more than regular chocolate. The number is based on a sample from the Rhineland-Palatinate consumer advice center, reports
SWR television
. 13 Easter products were tested, and in extreme cases there was said to be a surcharge of 186 percent. If you want to save money, you should skip the Easter packaging and buy chocolate in the usual form. However, this can also be more expensive.
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Import prices of cocoa beans increased dramatically in January 2024
Compared to the same month last year, the import prices of cocoa beans and cocoa bean nibs rose by 73.4 percent in January 2024, reports the
Federal Statistical Office (DESTATIS)
. The last time there was a similar large price increase (+87.4 percent) was in October 2002. The reason for the increased prices is, among other things, the shortage of raw materials as a result of bad harvests. This also affects imports of cocoa mass and cocoa butter, which increased by 49.4 percent in January compared to the same month last year. This also influences the prices of chocolate for end consumers.
DESTATIS
informs that producer prices for chocolate and other foods containing cocoa rose by 8.8 percent in February 2024 compared to the same month last year. However, the experts limit that the price increase was lower than a few months ago.
How does this show up on the shelves?
The
Tagesschau
reports that the Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli announced at the beginning of March that “increasing prices for chocolate are to be expected for the current year”. If the price level for cocoa remains the same, this will also lead to higher prices next year. Mondelez, which owns Milka, will also make changes. The
MDR
reports, citing the Reuters news agency, that the “unit weights” are also affected. What this means is that the number of grams can be reduced and the price remains similar.