Cocoa Edges Up Despite News

 | Oct 29, 2015 09:44AM ET

Cocoa edges up despite news


The cocoa prices continued to grow after the Presidential elections on Sunday in Côte d'Ivoire. This African country is the world leader in its production accounting for the 35% of the global market. The incumbent Alassane Ouattara, who previously was the IMF managing director, has won the elections. According to the reports, the opposition recognized the elections as valid. The majority of the market participants were anticipating the correction down in case of the valid elections. Nevertheless, we see that has not happened yet. Will cocoa prices continue to grow?

Since the beginning of the year, the cocoa has already climbed 10%. Consumers are concerned about the possible negative El Nino effects on its crops. The international agri-business group Olam International estimated the global cocoa deficit for 2015/16 season at 150 thousand tonnes. The reading is much higher the previous forecast by International Cocoa Organization for the deficit to be 96 thousand tonnes. Meanwhile, according to its estimates, the global cocoa production will increase to 4.25bn tonnes from 4.19bn tonnes in 2014/15, but the global demand is to increase even more, which can cause the cocoa beans deficit. The scenario is yet possible as the prices are edging higher regardless of the news. Meanwhile, the shipping volume of cocoa beans from Côte d'Ivoire ports from October 1 to October 25, season 2015/16 amounted to 214 thousand tonnes, which is 30% more than 164 thousand tonnes in the same period of the previous season (last year). The cocoa shipping from Brazil in the period from May to October 25, 2015 increased 3%, or 4.2 thousand tonnes.