Sugar and cocoa markets remain at stubbornly high levels, according to sector research, globally

Pressure has continued to mount on confectionery and wider supply chains, with prices for both raw sugar and cocoa reportedly reaching 10-year and seven-year highs respectively by the end of last month, according to commodities analysis group The Smart Cube, writes Neill Barston. As previously reported by Confectionery Production, the situation has led to European trade body Caobisco joining wider industry calls upon the EU for urgent regulatory measures in a bid to curb the costs of sugar in particular, as the industry faces the prospects of potential factory shutdowns and job-losses, as the cost of operating intensifies considerably. According to forecasts, pricing for the major sector commodity, its output is projected to drop in key producing countries such as India, Thailand and China, which also presents further global market challenges. As the Smart Cube noted, output in India, which is the second-largest sugar producer, is said to be likely to fall 5 per cent ...