Cocoa processing in Brazil falls 5.5% in Q4, says AIPC

By Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) - Cocoa processing in Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest chocolate market, fell 5.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 59,589 metric tons as high prices for the raw material hurt demand, the National Association of Cocoa Processing Industries (AIPC) said on Tuesday. “In the last two quarters, we have seen a significant drop in cocoa grinding in Brazil, indicating a reduction in demand for cocoa products,” said Anna Paula Losi, director of AIPC, an association of companies with operations in the country including Barry Callebaut, Cargill and Olam. Losi said companies in the sector are facing rising production costs due to sharp increases in cocoa prices over the past two years. Cocoa grinding in Brazil in 2024 fell 9.5% to 229,334 tons, the AIPC said. Cocoa arrivals to factories in Brazil also fell due to lower production ...