After Cote d`Ivoire decided to stop supplies of cocoa beans until February, the international price for cocoa beans has taken a jump, ready to set a historical record.
Ivory Coast is the world`s largest exporter of cocoa beans, its share in the world exports being 40%.
On January 21, the cocoa beans price was U.S. $3,263 per ton in the international markets, which is just a little lower than the record price last January - U.S. $3,520 per ton. However, the cocoa beans price was later lower throughout last year - down to U.S. $2,780 per ton. At the end of the year the international price was U.S. $3,000.
Armenian consumers could hardly feel the price fluctuations, as chocolate price remained unchanged in the country.
One of the reasons was keen competition: eight Armenia companies are producing chocolate, and five others import the product.
Grand Candy is the largest Armenian chocolate producer. However, the company did not make any comments on the situation.
Mkrtich Ghukasyan, Director of the Armsweet Company, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the cocoa price is 2,400-2,600 AMD per kilo now against 1,000 last year. However, the company is not yet raising its chocolate prices waiting for the other companies` further steps.
The Armenian companies are mainly using cocoa beans imported from Africa. Last September the Armenian Company Grand Candy broke the Guinness World Record for the biggest chocolate bar by making a bar weighing 4,410 kg.
