Cocoa Shortage Hits Close To Home

Just in time for Valentine’s day: – chocolate prices are sky high and as it turns out – weather may be to blame. A bar of chocolate is almost the same as a gallon of gas.

The reason: Cocoa production in Ghana, the world’s second largest producer, is down due to severe drought conditions. Yet, worldwide demand for chocolate is rising, especially in India and China, where what what used to be a luxury good is now more affordable to the masses.

This translates to a spike in cocoa prices that can be felt right here at home. Mike Niswonger of Patsy’s Candies shared how this affects his business:

“Over the last 4 years particularly we’ve seen probably a 40% increase, maybe more. And, we get fluctuations some, but it hasn’t dropped the same way it had gone up “

Fortunately, for the operators of this chocolate shop, the benefits outweigh the costs when it comes to Valentine’s day and chocolate. Touring their facility today, it appears that there’s no lack of demand for what they’re making.