West Africa

39 news articles covering commodity markets in West Africa.

Cashew packers stop committing forward ahead of the flowering window

Cashew packers are holding back from long-term forward contracts with INC and WMO confirming a strong El Niño over the November to January flowering window.

Macadamia crop grows 11%, almond kernels come in small

Global Trading's August tree nut report has the macadamia crop up 11% and pressuring prices, while small first almond kernels push that market higher.

Cocoa rallies more than 30%; deficit fears return for next season

Cocoa has rallied more than 30% off its lows as the market turns to next season's West African crop, with New York on track for its best month since late 2024.

Cocoa jumps 11% as the market turns to El Niño supply risk

Cocoa snapped higher with ICE London July futures up 11% to £3,488/t and New York up 11% to $4,545/t, as the market turned to 2026/27 supply risk.

Cocoa futures rebound on macro mood, not fundamentals

Cocoa had been one of the quieter markets of late spring, shrugging off higher Ivory Coast arrivals and El Niño chatter alike. Then London opened sharply up.

Ivory Coast arrivals outpace last season, pressuring cocoa

Cocoa fell on supportive West African weather and a jump in Ivory Coast arrivals, with ICE EU down 6% to 2,940 GBP/t and ICE US down 6% to 3,831 USD/t.

EU cocoa futures post a 10% single-session gain as the Silly Season takes hold

EU cocoa rose 7% on the week to 3,153 GBP/t for front-month July 2026, while the September contract gained 8% and at one point rallied over 10% in a session.

El Nino shifts Cocoa Week London from bearish demand to cautious supply concern

Delegates arrived at Cocoa Week London focused on weak confectionery demand and left worried about supply instead. El Niño was the catalyst for the shift.

Cocoa rallies 30% in a week on short-covering and crop risk

EU cocoa front-month May 2026 futures closed up 34% on the week at 3,551 GBP/t, with gains spread across the curve rather than concentrated in the front.

Cocoa prices break 2,500 resistance despite record fund short position

Cocoa broke above 2,500 resistance on fund short covering ahead of global grindings data, with the US-Iran ceasefire lending broad commodity support.

Cocoa grindings extend decline with chocolate demand under sustained pressure

Cocoa grindings look set to stay well below historical levels through 2025/26, with European volumes down 8.3% in Q4 and pressure across the chocolate trade.

Cocoa prices stage end-of-quarter rally, but cost pressures cloud the chocolate outlook

Cocoa rallied at the end of March, EU futures gaining 7% in a session to £2,487/mt, though the move points to short-covering rather than changed fundamentals.

Cocoa farmers in Brazil cancel expansion plans as low prices bite

Brazilian cocoa farmers expect to cancel around 50% of planned industrial cultivation projects, as prices below $3,000/t make new investment unviable.

Chocolate forecast 2026: cocoa, sugar, vegetable oils, nuts

Chocolate manufacturers face an ingredient picture very different from the start of the year: cocoa has fallen sharply while other input costs have risen.

Sports Nutrition ingredients forecast 2026: whey protein powders, eggs, sugar, nuts, cooa

The sports nutrition supply chain is under its heaviest pressure in years, as whey demand broadens into medical, weight management and food fortification.

Cocoa sector turmoil deepens in Ivory Coast and Ghana

Disruption in the Ivory Coast and Ghana cocoa sectors is deepening, with unsold beans, delayed payments and falling farmgate prices destabilising the market.

Cocoa prices fall 35% in a month as West African supply overhang deepens

Cocoa has fallen about 35% in a month and sits 70% below year-ago levels, with ICE EU March 2026 at £2,438/t as unsold beans build in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Cocoa futures recover modestly as Ghana payment crisis leaves 150,000 mt stuck

Cocoa futures recovered slightly after sharp declines, but a payment crisis in Ghana and Ivory Coast has left farmers unpaid and 150,000 mt of beans stuck.

Cocoa futures decline 30% in one month as speculators exit and grind data disappoints

Cocoa futures fell 30% in a month as Q4 grind data showed an 8.25% European decline and Ivory Coast faced trader defaults on sharply lower prices.

Cocoa prices hit 2-year low as farmgate pricing crisis leaves African beans stranded at ports

London cocoa fell over 12% to 3,347 GBP/t, a two-year low, as fixed farmgate prices in Ivory Coast and Ghana created a West African supply bottleneck.

Cocoa market seeks equilibrium after 50% price retreat

Cocoa futures trade in a narrow range as the market seeks equilibrium after a 50% retracement, with mild Harmattan and good rainfall supporting West Africa.

EU chocolate inflation remains at multi-year highs despite cocoa price correction

European chocolate inflation stayed near multi-year highs at 17.3% year on year even as cocoa fell 60% from its peak, limiting any recovery in demand.

Chocolate demand proves more price-sensitive than expected as Mondelez reports consumer pushback

Mondelez puts European chocolate demand elasticity at 0.7-0.8, well above the 0.4-0.5 the industry expected, as cumulative 30% price rises test consumers.

Cocoa prices fall 20% over past month as main crop expectations remain optimistic

Cocoa futures fall 20% in a month as West African main crop expectations remain optimistic. European Q3 grindings beat estimates.

How the EUDR delay is influencing cocoa prices and market structure

Discover how the EUDR delay, market structure shifts, and hedge fund shorts are influencing cocoa prices and procurement strategies.

EU deforestation rules create compliance challenges for cocoa exporters

The EU deforestation regulation poses major compliance challenges for cocoa exporters and their tracking systems, though a second delay may bring relief.

Cocoa price discovery breaks down as structural problems persist

Cocoa markets struggle with broken price signals as Ghana's debt crisis deepens and Brazilian farmers face oligopolistic pricing pressure from processors.

Côte d'Ivoire cocoa crop faces weather challenges as rain distribution remains uneven

West African cocoa regions are seeing mixed rainfall ahead of harvest, with uneven distribution across Côte d'Ivoire and different conditions recorded in Ghana.

Ivory Coast cuts cocoa export forecast as severe drought threatens global supply

Ivory Coast has cut main crop export contracts by 100,000 tonnes to 1.2 million as severe drought and disease threaten the top producing nation's crop.

Cocoa: weak demand is priced in, supply problems not

Weak cocoa demand is fully priced in but supply disruption is not, an asymmetry that lets futures jump 10% in a session on West African weather reports.

Cocoa prices rise as supply concerns outweigh demand destruction

Cocoa prices rise despite weak demand as West African production concerns outweigh processing declines | Market Analysis.

Cocoa markets face double pressure from weather relief and tariff uncertainty

Cocoa futures fell 9.6% in London and 9.2% in New York as West African weather improved, while US trade tariff uncertainty kept the market volatile.

Cocoa prices drop as Ghana boosts crop forecast, but weather risks loom large

New York cocoa falls to $9,000 as Ghana increases crop forecast 8.3%. Côte d'Ivoire arrivals up 5.7% but rainfall concerns persist in West Africa.

Cocoa market shows signs of recovery as West African rains improve crop prospects

Cocoa futures drop 15% as West African rains improve crop prospects. Analysis of supply recovery, smuggling challenges, and market outlook.

Cocoa markets find stability as weather shifts from drought to flood concerns

Cocoa futures find stability after volatile period, but excessive rainfall in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana raises new supply concerns.

Cocoa market enters "silly season" as weather uncertainty and policy volatility create perfect storm

Cocoa market enters volatile "silly season" with 20-year low liquidity, weather uncertainty in West Africa, and policy disruptions.

Cocoa markets remain volatile as ICCO widens global supply deficit to 494,000 tons

The ICCO widened its 2023/24 cocoa deficit estimate to 494,000 tons as mid-crop quality concerns persist in West Africa. Futures hit $10,974 before easing.

Cocoa market watch: Rally faces headwinds despite supply concerns

US cocoa futures hit a three-month high of $10,974 before easing, as improving West African rainfall runs up against persistent crop quality concerns.

US Cocoa tariffs shake global markets: supply squeeze meets trade tensions

New US tariffs of up to 21% on cocoa imports collide with a 40% drop in Ivory Coast production, sending futures tumbling from $9,492 to $7,800.