Germany’s cocoa grindings decrease due to high energy costs

The dramatic rise in Germany’s energy costs, which are higher than in some other EU countries, has contributed to the fall, a BDSI spokesperson said.

A total of 12 companies in Germany process cocoa beans and ground a total of 103,532.0 tonnes of cocoa - a decline of 4.7% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

The European Cocoa Organization (ECA) reports for the third quarter of 2022 that 369,679 tonnes of raw cocoa were ground. This corresponds to a decrease of 1.6% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

Germany has suffered from cuts in Russian gas supplies following the war in Ukraine and the German confectionery industry’s electricity costs in 2021 were estimated at around 250 million euros ($242.6 million), but are expected to rise to approximately 2.5 billion euros this year with the same energy use, the BDSI said.

Other EU countries, including France and Spain, have capped energy price rises, and currently have a significant advantage in production costs, the BDSI said.