COPAL COCOA Info - Alliance of Cocoa Producing …. 481.doc · Web viewDeo said the launch this year of Bubbly, a new Cadbury Dairy Milk brand of aerated chocolate, would increase

INSIDE THIS ISSE: ICCO DAILY COCOA PRICES LONDON (LIFFE) FUTURES

MARKET UPDATE NEW YORK (ICE) FUTURES

MARKET UPDATE FROM THE NEWS MEDIA

o Meeting of the International Organizing Committee for the 17th International Cocoa Research Conference, (ICRC) Yaounde, Cameroon, 24th April to 3rd May 2012.

COPAL COCOACOPAL COCOA InfoInfo

A Weekly Newsletter of Cocoa Producers' Alliance

Health and Nutrition Attention Chocoholics: Scientists confirm Cocoa

as a Healthy Stimulant Is chocolate really heart-healthy? Benefits of cocoa

Production and Quality Rainfall Seen helping boost Cocoa harvests in

Ivory Coast, Ghana

The Market Ivory Coast cocoa prices up as beans grow scarce Low cocoa prices affect Makira farmers Cocoa, sugar boost UK Fairtrade sales by 12% in

2011

Processing & Manufacturing Olam Intl Ltd : President Mills inaugurates new

Business & Economy Cocoa, sugar boost UK Fairtrade sales Brooklyn chocolate factory welcomes visitors

Labour Issues PBC Lambasts Cocoa Board

Environmental Issue Weather, bug damage return world to cocoa

deficit

Research & Development

Promotion & Consumption The candy-cocoa connection

Others

Do your health a favour, drink Cocoa everyday

‘It’s nature’s miracle food’UP-COMING EVENTSUP-COMING EVENTS IN THISIN THIS

Issue No. 481 27th February – 2nd March 2012

Olam wheat milling facility in Ghana > No cocoa damaged in ADM's Pennsylvania plant fire

In the News (from Newspapers worldwide)

ICCO Daily Cocoa PricesICCO Daily Price

(SDR/tonne)ICCO Daily price

($US/tonne)London futures

(£/tonne)New York futures

($US/tonne)

27th February 1567.45 2434.01 1547.33 2419.67

28th February 1544.65 2401.59 1528.67 2378.33

29th February 1526.45 2375.19 1502.67 2357.00

1st March 1547.12 2398.25 1515.00 2383.33

2nd March 1531.56 2365.93 1506.33 2347.33

Average 1543.00 2395.00 1520.00 2377.00

COCOA PRODUCERS’ ALLIANCE, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, P.O. BOX 1718, LAGOS, NIGERIA. TEL: +234(0)1-263-5574 FAX: +234(0)1-263-5684

Email: [email protected] Website: www.copal-cpa.org2

mailto:[email protected]

International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE)London Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities

(£ per tone)

Monday 27th February 2012

Month Opening Trans Settle ChangeDaily High

Daily Low Volume

Mar 2012 1497 1533 28 1535 1497 2,841May 2012 1513 1542 29 1544 1507 3,548Jul 2012 1524 1551 25 1552 1520S 1,333Sep 2012 1526 1549 20 1551S 1522 508Dec 2012 1525 1545 17 1547S 1522S 478Mar 2013 1525 1546 16 1549 1525S 1,772May 2013 1541 1557 17 1547S 1541S 25Jul 2013 1555 1567 19 1568S 1555S 137Sep 2013 1551 1572 22 1551 1551 3Dec 2013 1577 19 0

Average/Totals 1554 10,645

Tuesday 28th February 2012

Month Opening Trans Settle ChangeDaily High

Daily Low Volume

Mar 2012 1552 1513 -20 1570S 1506 3,776May 2012 1560 1522 -20 1576S 1512 6,231Jul 2012 1570 1531 -20 1583S 1522S 1,386Sep 2012 1578 1533 -16 1580S 1521S 729Dec 2012 1573 1528 -17 1575S 1516S 633Mar 2013 1576 1525 -21 1580S 1517 2,546May 2013 1581 1536 -21 1581S 1532 319Jul 2013 1578 1543 -24 1585S 1570S 26Sep 2013 1548 -24 0Dec 2013 1552 -25 0


Wednesday 29th February 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1508 1479 -34 1516 1470S 5,388May 2012 1519 1493 -29 1523S 1482 10,495Jul 2012 1529 1506 -25 1533S 1495S 9,025Sep 2012 1531 1509 -24 1536S 1500S 1,236Dec 2012 1531 1508 -20 1531S 1500S 1,423Mar 2013 1525 1505 -20 1527S 1495 2,245May 2013 1510 1515 -21 1510 1510 3Jul 2013 1521 1522 -21 1521 1521 3Sep 2013 1540 1525 -23 1540S 1531S 8Dec 2013 1529 -23 0




http://www.nybot.com/reports/dmrs/etsDMRs/dmrFutures.asp?dmrMonth=04&dmrDay=11&dmrYear=2007&commodityID=1&commodityType=future






Thursday 1st March 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1488 1484 5 1507S 1460 6,436May 2012 1507 1504 11 1520 1476 7,364Jul 2012 1521 1518 12 1532S 1490S 1,676Sep 2012 1522 1523 14 1531S 1492S 473Dec 2012 1524 1522 14 1530S 1490 544Mar 2013 1526 1517 12 1526S 1487 2,100May 2013 1524 1528 13 1527S 1501 190Jul 2013 1539 1537 15 1540S 1507S 261Sep 2013 1526 1540 15 1526S 1518S 8Dec 2013 1544 15 0


Friday 2nd March 2012 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 1497 1470 -14 1497S 1467S 3,523May 2012 1517 1495 -9 1519 1489S 5,204Jul 2012 1531 1509 -9 1531 1504S 2,395Sep 2012 1535 1515 -8 1535S 1510S 1,025Dec 2012 1533 1513 -9 1533 1507 644Mar 2013 1528 1510 -7 1528S 1505 2,344May 2013 1539 1520 -8 1539S 1524S 6Jul 2013 1525 1528 -9 1526S 1525S 24Sep 2013 1536 1531 -9 1536S 1536S 3Dec 2013 1548 1536 -8 1548S 1548S 2


Average for the week 1513 2758 2758











New York Board of Trade(New York Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities)

(US$ per tone)

Monday 27th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 0 2413 43 0 0 0May 2012 2352 2400 43 2445 2343 9,152Jul 2012 2380 2414 40 2458 2380 1,668Sep 2012 2392 2417 38 2455 2386 667Dec 2012 2400 2420 32 2465 2390 372Mar 2013 2408 2426 31 2472 2394 1,628May 2013 2421 2443 33 2469 2418 523Jul 2013 2438 2453 33 2453 2438 146Sep 2013 0 2465 33 0 0 0Dec 2013 0 2477 33 0 0 0

Average/Totals 2433 14156

Tuesday 28th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2471 2414 1 2476 2458 10May 2012 2425 2370 -30 2454 2346 12,033Jul 2012 2443 2383 -31 2465 2361 2,293Sep 2012 2437 2387 -30 2467 2375 528Dec 2012 2450 2390 -30 2468 2386 279Mar 2013 2459 2395 -31 2473 2380 883May 2013 2464 2406 -37 2482 2450 399Jul 2013 2474 2416 -37 2485 2451 26Sep 2013 2483 2429 -36 2498 2464 45Dec 2013 0 2441 -36 0 0 2


Wednesday 29th February 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2410 2383 -31 2410 2355 13May 2012 2371 2334 -36 2385 2301 14,908Jul 2012 2394 2354 -29 2394 2321 3,610Sep 2012 2384 2367 -20 2385 2330 1,108Dec 2012 2387 2370 -20 2392 2338 762Mar 2013 2388 2376 -19 2389 2346 747May 2013 2374 2392 -14 2394 2363 112Jul 2013 2387 2406 -10 2408 2387 77Sep 2013 2421 2419 -10 2421 2421 31Dec 2013 0 2430 -11 0 0 0


Thursday 1st March 2012










Month Open Price Change High Low VolumeMar 2012 2396 2392 9 2396 2334 12May 2012 2334 2366 32 2377 2311 9,065Jul 2012 2364 2384 30 2393 2331 2,288Sep 2012 2382 2396 29 2405 2342 923Dec 2012 2377 2399 29 2407 2348 563Mar 2013 2400 2400 24 2408 2350 744May 2013 2409 2411 19 2420 2369 129Jul 2013 2421 2422 16 2431 2379 214Sep 2013 2425 2436 17 2439 2392 158Dec 2013 2406 2449 19 2435 2406 140


Friday 2nd March 2012 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

Mar 2012 2389 2358 -34 2389 2372 3May 2012 2366 2334 -32 2388 2326 7,581Jul 2012 2396 2352 -32 2398 2342 2,950Sep 2012 2409 2364 -32 2409 2354 750Dec 2012 2388 2368 -31 2391 2356 736Mar 2013 2410 2372 -28 2410 2359 404May 2013 2386 2383 -28 2390 2386 118Jul 2013 0 2392 -30 0 0 137Sep 2013 0 2404 -32 0 0 74Dec 2013 0 2414 -35 0 0 40


Average for the week 2374 2326 2326











News

Attention Chocoholics: Scientists confirm Cocoa as a Healthy StimulantDaily NexusBy Kiyan RajabiFebruary 28, 2012As your post-chocolate jitters are winding down from Valentine’s Day, you might actually consider continuing to treat your sweet tooth to benefit from the healthful antioxidants present in dark chocolate. Once a diet “no-no,” certain chocolates actually contain compounds known as flavonols and polyphenols that can lower blood pressure, increase small vessel circulation and even protect against sunburns.

To be clear, white and milk chocolate are fakers here, health-wise. In fact, white chocolate does not actually contain cocoa. To reap the rewards from chocolate’s antioxidants, choose darker varieties containing at least 70 percent cocoa.

In a recent study led by Dr. Dirk Taubert at the University of Cologne in Germany, researchers demonstrated that the blood pressure of participants who consumed dark chocolate was slightly reduced compared to the blood pressures of the white-chocolate-consuming group.

Another study conducted at the University of Adelaide in Australia found that flavonols in dark chocolate may lower blood pressure by prompting vasodilation — the widening of blood vessels from relaxing blood vessel walls. “There have, however, been conflicting results as to the real-life effects of eating chocolate,” Dr. Karin Ried said, a researcher from the study. “We’ve found that consumption [of dark chocolate] can significantly, albeit modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure.”

In addition, many other experiments provide compelling data that suggest consuming dark chocolate may improve various other bodily functions for all individuals, not just those with certain existing health issues. In fact, in a recent study led by professor Ian Macdonald at the University of Nottingham, researchers observed increased brain activity in those participants consuming a cocoa beverage. “Acute consumption of this particular flavonol-rich cocoa beverage was associated with increased gray matter flow for two to three hours,” Macdonald said.

In accordance with the University of Adelaide study, scientists from the University of Nottingham determined the increased cognitive function was a result of vasodilation. Macdonald’s team documented this effect using magnetic resonance imaging. “The demonstration of an effect of consuming this particular beverage on cerebral blood flow raises the possibility that certain food ingredients may be beneficial in increasing brain blood flow and enhancing brain function in situations where individuals are cognitively impaired such as fatigue, sleep deprivation or possibly aging,” Macdonald said.

In sum, everything in moderation … except for delicious dark chocolate, of course. Although many of us self-proclaimed chocolate snobs secretly love us some white chocolate goodness, avoid that white trash for your health’s sake.

Is chocolate really heart-healthy?ReutersBy Amy NortonMar 1, 2012 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - That heart-shaped box of chocolate you got for Valentine's just might have some benefits for your real heart, a new study hints. The study, which combined the results of 42 small clinical trials, found that people fed chocolate or cocoa for a few weeks to months had small dips in their blood pressure and improved blood vessel function.



NEWS

Health and Nutrition


On average, chocolate eaters shaved a couple points from their blood pressure and showed a small improvement in "flow-mediated dilation" -- a measure of how well the blood vessels respond to increased blood flow. They also had a dip in their levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. High insulin levels are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, are far from the first to connect chocolate to heart health.

A number of widely reported studies have found that chocolate lovers seem to have lower rates of certain heart risks, like high blood pressure. But those types of studies, known as observational studies, cannot prove cause-and-effect. People who indulge in chocolate may have other factors in their lives that explain the better heart health.

In contrast, the new study focused on clinical trials -- where researchers randomly assigned people to eat chocolate or not, then watched for changes in chocolate eaters' blood pressure, cholesterol and other heart risk factors. The fact that there were some improvements suggests that chocolate may have some actual benefits, according to the researchers, led by Lee Hooper of Norwich Medical School in the UK.

But Hooper cautioned that the studies in the analysis were small and had their flaws. And possibly most important, none have been large or long enough to show whether there's any effect on a person's risk of heart disease or stroke. "My take-away message would be that if people like dark chocolate, then eating a little in place of other 'treat' foods is fine, and may be beneficial," Hooper told Reuters Health in an email. "However," she added, "the evidence is not yet good enough to suggest that we should all be doing this."

An expert not involved in the study agreed.

"From a practical perspective it is premature to advise individuals to consume chocolate or cocoa to decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease," said Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition lab at Tufts University in Boston. That's due to a number of reasons, not the least of which is calorie control, according to Lichtenstein.

Another is that it's not clear how chocolate would have heart benefits. Compounds called flavonoids are the "presumed" player, Lichtenstein said in an email, but they have not been adequately tested to see whether they are, in fact, effective ways to protect your heart. And even if they are, Lichtenstein said, "little information is available to the consumer for the level of flavonoids in a specific chocolate product."

Plus, Hooper pointed out, there's a range of plant foods that contain various flavonoids -- including many fruits (like berries, citrus and apples) and vegetables (like kale, spinach and broccoli), nuts, soy, tea and wine. For the current study, Hooper's team pooled data from 42 small clinical trials involving about 1,300 people in all. That approach is called a meta-analysis, and it allows researchers to draw conclusions based on bigger numbers.

But it also has shortcomings, Hooper's team acknowledges. Each of the trials was different -- including different types of people (healthy in some cases, having chronic health problems like diabetes or heart disease in others), and different ways of testing chocolate's effects.

Some studies used cocoa drinks, some solid chocolate, and some cocoa supplements. They also varied in how long people were "treated" -- but most trials lasted less than six weeks. Larger, longer-term trials -- including ones not funded by the cocoa industry -- are needed, Hooper and her colleagues write. Maybe the biggest question is whether any benefits would be worth the downside of chocolate. Based on these small studies, Hooper's team writes, it could take several hundred calories' worth of chocolate to see effects on insulin and blood vessel function. And that could mean trouble for your waistline, the researchers point out.

Lichtenstein agreed. "Until we get additional data, it is premature to say that adding hot chocolate fudge sauce to a bowl of ice cream is going to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease," she said. "What we do know," she added, "is that adding the chocolate sauce without decreasing the amount of ice cream in the bowl is going to lead to weight gain." For now, Lichtenstein said, if you enjoy a little chocolate in your life, you can probably keep doing so. But don't add it in the hopes of helping your heart.




Benefits of cocoaMother Nature NetworkBy Judd HandlerFeb 29 2012 New research finds that cocoa helps improve blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, HDL cholesterol and overall cardiovascular health.

Woman thinking about eating chocolate

Cocoa, revered centuries ago by the Aztecs and Mayans as the ‘food of the gods,’ is now being worshipped by modern science. Two recent independent studies at Harvard and another from Cambridge, published in the British Medical Journal, have found that cocoa is a superfood when it comes to improving, among other things: * Blood pressure

* Blood vessel health * Insulin sensitivity * HDL Cholesterol * Overall prevention of cardiovascular disease

But do the benefits of cocoa outweigh the risks of eating too much chocolate? Is chocolate—the combination of cocoa powder, cocoa solids (fats), sugar and other processing ingredients like soy lecithin and milk powders—a powerful medicinal food? Should the two-thirds of American adults who are overweight consume it liberally in hopes of reversing the potential of developing heart disease and diabetes? The answer, according to Eric Ding, a Harvard professor of nutrition and epidemiology, and co-author of a study on cacao in the Journal of Nutrition and another in the Current Cardiovascular Risk Report: you’d have to eat a lot of chocolate to derive the benefits of cacao. Exactly how much?It would take about eight bars of dark chocolate or 33 bars of milk chocolate to reduce the chance of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, to the level that the study participants achieved, says Ding. For those watching their weight and sugar intake, “obviously, that’s a problem,” Ding tells the Mother Nature Network. What Ding and other researchers have found is that a specific subcategory of the antioxidant group, flavonoids, specifically epicatechin (eh-pee-cat-a-kin), is the compound that gives cocoa (or cacao, as it’s also known) its myriad health benefits. “Cocoa flavonoids are the main beneficial compound of chocolate. Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk chocolate and pure cocoa has the most,” Ding says. Ding and his fellow researchers performed a meta-analysis of dozens of studies involving cocoa. The analysis involved 2,575 participants and concluded that the maximum benefits of cocoa were cashed in after consuming 400-500 mg of cocoa flavonoids per day. Subjects were given a combination of fortified shakes or powders or dark chocolate bars (bars being at least 65 percent cocoa; control parameters included keeping the amount of fat, sugar and total calories of the participants the same). Due to both pure cocoa’s bitter taste and its relative lack of availability in the U.S., compared to processed chocolate bars (processing destroys most of the flavonoids), one can assume that most Americans would need to supplement with cocoa flavonoids.




Can I take a vitamin to get the health benefits of cocoa?Sort of. Currently, there are 13 vitamins that are considered essential by the National Institutes of Health. Although some vitamins are antioxidants, the free-radical-damage-fighting flavonoids found in chocolate are not considered essential. So, at the moment, there are no epicatechin vitamins. There are, however, some cocoa supplements on the market, though not many. It’s also unclear whether supplements are just as effective as naturally-occurring cocoa. Dr. Norman Hollenberg, another Harvard researcher who has studied cocoa extensively, believes drinking pure cocoa is a certain prescription for good health. Hollenberg has observed for many years the ethnic Kuna group, who typically drink 5-6 cups of minimally-processed cocoa per day, on their offshore Panamanian island habitat. Is drinking cocoa healthier than eating it?Drinking unadulterated cocoa is certainly healthier than bingeing on a dozen bars of chocolate, thinks Hollenberg. Although his studies of the Kuna were largely observational, compared to the controlled and random studies of Ding and other researchers, Hollenberg believes imbibing in liquid cocoa has kept the Kuna free of modern lifestyle disease. But that begs the question: does the fact that the Kuna’s lifestyle lacks the same stressors as first-world workers bias Hollenberg’s hypothesis? How do we know that it’s not just the chocolate, but a combination of many factors? “We just don’t know the answer to that; it’s very hard to quantify stress,” Hollenberg tells to Mother Nature Network. But Hollenberg is betting on the cocoa. “The Kuna drink 40 cups of cocoa per person per week and manage, for the most part, to avoid getting four of the five most common killer diseases: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes,” he says. Are there other foods that contain the same beneficial compounds found in chocolate?Yes. Every fruit and vegetable contains flavonoids. Hollenberg describes epicatechin as the ‘all-star’ flavonoid. Many fruits and vegetables contain both epicatechin and its closely-related compound, catechin. So why not just ditch the chocolate all together and eat just fruits and vegetables? “The flavonoids found in chocolate are too important to ignore,” says Hollenberg. “The health benefits are tremendous.” Hollenberg, however, adds this cautionary last note, despite all the latest research on the health benefits of cocoa: “We know that cacao is good for you but we still don’t know if you need anywhere near the amount the Kuna drink; there remains a lot of research to do.”

Rainfall Seen helping boost Cocoa harvests in Ivory Coast, GhanaBusinessWeekBy Isis AlmeidaFebruary 27, 2012(Bloomberg) -- Rain in cocoa-producing countries in West Africa, the world’s main growing region, is set to help the development of the mid-crop, the smaller of two annual harvests that usually starts in April.

Most of Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s largest cocoa producers, will get 10 millimeters to 20 millimeters (0.4 inch to 0.8 inch) of rainfall by March 3, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington. Precipitation in some areas of Ghana will be as much as 50 millimeters, data on the NOAA’s website show.



Production & Quality


Cocoa climbed 9.9 percent in London this year on speculation dry conditions would hurt the development of the crops. The dry harmattan winds from the desert are stronger, according to Antoine Koffi Kouassi, an agro-meteorology engineer at Ivory Coast’s National Meteorological Service. “Rains are likely to improve crop prospects in West Africa after dryness had caused concerns about production,” Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt, said today by e-mail. “Prices should pare some of their recent gains as a result.”

The central-western Daloa region, Ivory Coast’s biggest growing area, received some rain earlier this month, with the Daloa weather station registering rainfall of 6.1 millimeters from Feb. 11 to 20 and 15.8 millimeters from Feb. 1 to 10, according to data on Bloomberg. The region produces an average 300,000 metric tons of cocoa a year.

Southwestern Rains

The southwestern Soubre region in Ivory Coast, which produces about 300,000 tons annually, also received rainfall, with the town of San Pedro getting 20.6 millimeters between Feb. 11 to 20 and 15.1 millimeters a week earlier. The town of Sassandra received 9.5 millimeters of rain between Feb. 11 to 20 and 12.6 millimeters the previous week and Tabou got 24.3 millimeters from Feb. 11 to 20 and 37.3 millimeters the previous week, the data show.

In Ghana, the Western region, which accounts for about 55 percent of the country’s output, also received rains from Feb. 11 to 20, data on Bloomberg show. The town of Sefwi Bekwai got 8.1 millimeters in the period, according to the data. A week earlier, Bogoso got as much as 51.9 millimeters.

Ivory Coast and Ghana accounted for 58 percent of global output last season, data from the London-based International Cocoa Organization show.

Ivory Coast cocoa prices up as beans grow scarceReuters AfricaBy Loucoumane Coulibaly Feb 28, 2012 ABIDJAN Feb 28 (Reuters) - Cocoa farmgate prices in Ivory Coast's main growing regions rose last week as exporters competed for scarce supplies at the end of the main crop and international markets climbed, farmers and buyers said on Tuesday.

The top grower nation's October-to-March main crop is drawing to an early close after an unusually long dry and windy spell hampered growing, and farmers expect the first beans of the April-September midcrop will not arrive until May or June. "It is difficult to find beans and the world market was generally higher last week. That's been supporting farmgate prices," said the purchases manager of a European cocoa export company, asking not to be named. He said prices at the port of Abidjan were 790-820 CFA francs ($1.61-$1.67) per kg, up from around 790-800 CFA/kg the previous week.

In the centre-west region of Daloa, producing a quarter of Ivory Coast's national output, farmers said the average price climbed to 600-650 CFA/kg from 550-600 CFA/kg the week before on increased demand from exporters. "Warehouse prices rose because there's no cocoa left in the region," said farmer Marcel Aka. "There are fewer trucks upcountry. Two or three days can go by without seeing them, whereas in December we saw dozens every day."

In the western region of Soubre, at the heart of the cocoa belt, farmers said the average price was around 700 CFA/kg from 650-700 CFA/kg the previous week. "The price is good... There are buyers, but no cocoa," said farmer Lazare Ake.

Low cocoa prices affect Makira farmersSolomon StarBy Denver Newter29 February 2012



The Market


Local Cocoa farmers in Makira/Ulawa Provinces have raised their concern over the unstable price of cocoa recently experienced in the province.

Spokesperson for the farmers said from Kirakira yesterday that the fluctuation of the price of cocoa has led to farmers to lose interest in cocoa production. He said last year the price of cocoa was good which encouraged the farmer to produce more but the latest develop has really discouraged farmers.

“Since the prices have dropped, many farmers have switched interest to other commercial agricultural activities instead of concentrating on the cocoa

industry,” he said.

The spokesman recalled that last year 1kg costs $15-16, while this year the prices rapidly dropped to $8 to 9 per kg.

Cocoa, sugar boost UK Fairtrade sales by 12% in 2011China PostBy Michelle Martin, Reuters February 29, 2012 LONDON--Sales under the ethical Fairtrade label grew 12 percent in 2011 and are set to climb even higher this year as confectionary makers increasingly use Fairtrade cocoa and sugar in their products, the Fairtrade Foundation said on Monday.

UK retail sales of Fairtrade cocoa surged 34 percent to 217 million pounds (US$343.8 million) in 2011, according to figures issued by the foundation on Monday. “The main Cadbury Dairy Milk brand has launched new variants and has switched its hot beverage products to Fairtrade, so that's a big driver,” Ashish Deo, commercial director of the Fairtrade Foundation, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Kraft Foods' Cadbury switched its Dairy Milk brand to Fairtrade in 2009 and in 2011 launched a new line called Chocos, which helped boost Fairtrade's share of the UK chocolate market to 12.5 percent by the end of 2011, up from 10 percent at the beginning of the year.

British retail sales of Fairtrade products overall were worth 1.32 billion pounds in 2011, up from 1.17 billion pounds in 2010.

Deo said the launch this year of Bubbly, a new Cadbury Dairy Milk brand of aerated chocolate, would increase Fairtrade's share of Britain's chocolate market further and said he saw a lot of room for expansion even after Maltesers — boxed chocolates made by Mars — switch to Fairtrade in May. “We will have three of the top five brands in the UK, so there are the other two brands to go after and there are also several sizeable brands in the top 10, so we have a long way to go in the chocolate category,” he said.

Olam Intl Ltd : President Mills inaugurates new Olam wheat milling facility in Ghana >4-tradersFebruary 27, 2012 Olam International Limited, a leading global integrated supply chain manager and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients, on Friday unveiled the latest development in its grains supply chain in West Africa, a fully functional state-of-the-art wheat milling facility in Ghana, aimed at making the country self-sufficient in wheat flour. This investment signifies Olam's continued support for the country where it is a leading player in the cocoa, cashew, cotton, rice and sugar supply chains and operates a packaged foods business.

"This event marks another milestone in our goal to become a major wheat miller in Sub-Saharan Africa, as we consolidate our West Africa expansion into the midmarket grain supply chain here in Ghana. This investment will enable us to unlock mutual value, contribute to the country's food security and capitalise on the increasing



Processing & Manufacturing


demand for flour-based products here on African the continent whilst extending our lasting partnership with the people and the government of the country. We are grateful to His Excellency President Evans Atta Mills for officially opening this facility," said Sunny Verghese, Chief Executive Officer of Olam International.

The new wheat milling facility is a stepping stone to Olam's long-term strategy in Ghana, at a cost of $55 million, it forms part of the increase in planned investment from $90 million to $450 million announced by Mr. Verghese at the inauguration ceremony. Olam Ghana employs over 500 people, increasing to nearly 1,500 in the next 3 years, of whom 100 will be employed at the new wheat facility. The production capacity of the plant is 115,000 metric tonnes of flour production per annum.

Attending and presenting the opening speech at the inauguration in Tema, Ghana, President H. E. Professor John Evans Atta Mills said: "This is a company worth supporting. This is a company with our interests at heart…I want to show the Government's appreciation for the excellent work Olam is doing in the agricultural and industrial sectors….and give the Government's congratulations on this achievement. May this company grow from strength to strength."

Olam has worldwide experience in using innovative solutions and responsible practices that contribute to profitable growth in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner with the ultimate goal of building end-to-end sustainable supply chains. This modern plant with its innovative technology to minimise electricity consumption is at one end of the chain. At the other end, Olam works hand in hand with farmers and their communities to improve livelihoods through providing pre-finance and agricultural inputs, together with comprehensive training programmes for improved yield and environmental stewardship. The company is committed to paying transparent and fair market pricing while building community infrastructure to support social welfare. In Ghana alone Olam touches the lives of half a million farmers.

Cocoa, sugar boost UK Fairtrade salesReuters UKBy Michelle MartinFeb 27, 2012LONDON (Reuters) - Sales under the ethical Fairtrade label grew 12 percent in 2011 and are set to climb even higher this year as confectionary makers increasingly use Fairtrade cocoa and sugar in their products, the Fairtrade Foundation said Monday.

UK retail sales of Fairtrade cocoa surged 34 percent to 217 million pounds in 2011, according to figures issued by the foundation Monday. "The main Cadbury Dairy Milk brand has launched new variants and has switched its hot beverage products to Fairtrade, so that's a big driver," Ashish Deo, commercial director of the Fairtrade Foundation, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Kraft Foods' Cadbury switched its Dairy Milk brand to Fairtrade in 2009 and in 2011 launched a new line called Chocos, which helped boost Fairtrade's share of the UK chocolate market to 12.5 percent by the end of 2011, up from 10 percent at the beginning of the year.

Fairtrade is a consumer label that covers a wide range of products including bananas, cosmetics and cotton and aims to help give workers in developing countries a better deal.

British retail sales of Fairtrade products overall were worth 1.32 billion pounds in 2011, up from 1.17 billion pounds in 2010.

Deo said the launch this year of Bubbly, a new Cadbury Dairy Milk brand of aerated chocolate, would increase Fairtrade's share of Britain's chocolate market further and said he saw a lot of room for expansion even after Maltesers - boxed chocolates made by Mars - switch to Fairtrade in May. "We will have three of the top five brands in the UK, so there are the other two brands to go after and there are also several sizeable brands in the top 10, so we have a long way to go in the chocolate category," he said.

STRONG SUGAR SALES



Business & Economy


Growth in the Fairtrade chocolate market has fuelled a 21 percent increase in retail sales of Fairtrade sugar.The sweet substance is now Britain's leading Fairtade-branded product, accounting for a third of the entire sugar market, with sales in 2011 worth 464 million pounds.

Britain's fourth biggest grocer, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, said it would convert to Fairtrade sugar supplied by Tate & Lyle Sugars, a unit of American Sugar Refining, in a move that will bring Fairtrade's share of the country's retail bagged sugar market to 42 percent, the foundation said.

Ice cream companies such as Ben & Jerry's are also boosting demand for Fairtrade sugar, while catering firms like Sodexo, Aramark and Compass have committed to using Fairtrade sugar, as have caterers at the Olympic Games in London this summer.

But sales of Fairtrade cotton fell by around 20 percent in 2011, according to Deo.

"Cotton unfortunately has been one of the more challenging categories for us," he said.

"There were a lot of sourcing challenges last year because the cotton crop was short, and countries like India had imposed export bans. A lot of Fairtrade cotton comes from India, so companies could not find alternative sources that quickly."

Newcomer Fairtrade gold, which was launched in early 2011, accounted for 0.03 percent of the ethical label's total sales. Deo said it would be around two to three years before sales of the precious metal really take off, because it was necessary to build up understanding among consumers first.

Brooklyn chocolate factory welcomes visitorsNYU Washington Square NewsBy Cici ChenFebruary 28, 2012The Mast Brothers Chocolate factory is a bright, spacious place with a rustic vibe and a touch of Williamsburg chic. While the shop bears no resemblance to Willy Wonka's and there are no oomp-loompas behind the counter, the sweet aroma of cocoa transports visitors to a chocolate wonderland.

Images

"By the end of this, you guys will be masters of chocolate," said Rick Mast, one of the brothers who owns the business and offers factory tours.

The tour shows the entire journey the cocoa beans take, from their arrival in large sacks to their production into elegantly wrapped bars with a Mast Brothers design. Interactive activities are embedded throughout the

adventure, like smelling, crushing and tasting the roasted cocoa beans.

Madison Todd for WSNAri Nadin, a Stern graduate student in the group, hoped to learn a few things from the tour, as he is planning to start a chocolate company in Jamaica. However, the rest of the group's main concern was eating anything they could get their hands on.

Mast explained the history of the shop and how the brothers developed their passion for the craft.

Madison Todd for WSN

"Chocolate is arguably the most popular food on earth, but nobody really knows how it is made," Mast said. "You go to a sandwich shop and you ask where all the ingredients come from. No one does that for chocolate. You just eat it."




Derek Herbster, a soft-spoken and knowledgeable guide, helped lead the group through eight different stages of chocolate making. Even after two years of working at Mast Brothers, Herbster maintains an exuberant appetite for chocolate.

Unlike mass-produced chocolate, the taste of Mast Brothers treats varies from batch to batch depending on the location and environment from which the cocoa beans come. Therefore, Herbster is responsible for tasting just as much of the chocolate during testing times as the visitors.

If you are looking for a chance to learn about cocoa in its purest form and to try some delicious chocolate, the Mast Brothers Chocolate factory tour is a great experience. Mast Brothers Chocolate is located at 105A N. Third St. in Brooklyn. Tours will run Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. throughout March for $9.99.

PBC Lambasts Cocoa BoardGhanaWeb29 February 2012The Produce Buying Company (PBC) has accused the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of deliberately disrupting its operations through undue delays at the Tema and Takoradi ports.

“When we move cocoa to the port, COCOBOD should arrange and offload it from our vehicles and pay us. We should be paid within a maximum of a week after delivery of cocoa to the port but you won’t believe that in the past weeks, it has taken some of our vehicles over five weeks to be offloaded,” Kojo Atta Krah, Managing Director of PBC recently disclosed in Accra.

“At a certain time, PBC had about a 1,000 trucks at the port. The money which we took as loans for our operation, was locked for weeks and we have been complaining all the time to COCOBOD to ensure that this problem is solved but it persists every year.”

According to Mr Atta Krah, the situation posed the biggest challenge to his outfit in addition to other issues. He said every year government, through COCOBOD, sources for loans offshore for cocoa purchases but “due to challenges in the industry, we do not get the full complement of these resources.”

Despite the foregoing, the company was able to pay a total amount of GH¢7.565 million as corporate tax to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in 2011. The company also paid GH¢2 million as dividend to government as a shareholder, bringing its total contributions to the national treasury in the year to almost GH¢10 million.

PBC recorded a gross profit of GH¢134.803 million in 2011 as against the previous year’s figure of GH¢76.229 million despite an increase in cocoa operations by 109.5 percent for the year under review from GH¢553.059 million to GH¢1.159 billion as a result of an increase in producer price.In the western region of Man the average price was up to about 650 CFA/kg, from around 600 CFA/kg the previous week. ($1 = 489.7030 CFA francs)

Weather, bug damage return world to cocoa deficitAgrimoney.com29th February 2012,Setbacks from the axing of fuel subsidies to "significantly less favourable" weather to "ravaging" by caterpillars are hampering cocoa producers, leaving the world facing a return to an output deficit.

The International Cocoa Organization, in its first forecast for 2011-12 cocoa supplies, forecast a shortfall of 71,000 tonnes, the fourth deficit in six seasons.



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Demand for the bean, as measured by grindings, will rise 2.0% to 3.99m tonnes - led by 10% jump in Africa, reflecting political stability in Ivory Coast, the top cocoa producing country, where volumes last year were depressed by civil war.

However, production will fall 8.0% from last season's record high back below 4m tonnes, after a deterioration in West African weather from the near-ideal conditions seen in 2010-11. "Production is expected to drop substantially in Africa, down by 384,000 tonnes to 2.84m tonnes, as weather conditions were more typical of the season and significantly less favourable than last year's."

Harmattan harm

While Ivory Coast's season "started well", a "dearth of rain and heavy winds caused by a very strong harmattan darkened the outlook at the heart of the Ivorian cocoa belt, and deepened fears about the development of the tail-end of the main crop post-January", the ICCO said. "Cocoa production is highly sensitive to weather conditions."

Ivory Coast - for which the harmattan wind, which blows from the Sahara, is an annual winter threat – will see its output fall by 160,000 tonnes to 1.53m tonnes.

'Caterpillars ravaging crops'

In Nigeria, the fourth-ranked producing countries, output will drop about 10% to 210,000 tonnes, hurt by "excessive rainfall and humidity", the organisation said, also noting the damage caused by President Goodluck Jonathan's controversial moves to scrap fuel support. "The government's removal of fuel subsidies, which were considered as no longer sustainable, has been hurting the cocoa industry, as gasoline is needed to move the harvested cocoa from farms to grading centres in towns and cities, and from warehouses to ports for exports."

Meanwhile, in fifth-ranked Cameroon, output could fall as much as 20% from last season's record, with capsid insects "attaching again in the Centre region, and caterpillars ravaging crops in the South-West region".

Indonesia at least will see an improvement in output, to 500,000 tonnes, thanks to the waning of the La Nina weather pattern, which typically brings the country abnormally heavy rains, and "wreaked havoc with the crop" last season".

Deficit estimates

Indeed, the ICCO's forecast of a 71,000-tonne deficit shows a smaller shortfall than many other commentators have factored in.

A Reuters poll of analysts last month pegged the deficit at 100,000 tonnes, while earlier this month London-based broker Marex Spectron estimated it at 94,000 tonnes.

But Barclays Capital, also in February, forecast the deficit at 48,000 tonnes.

The candy-cocoa connectionToronto Sun By Rita DeMontis ,Toronto SunFebruary 28, 2012



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Hat Trick White

TORONTO - Enjoy your Kit Kat, Aero, Coffee Crisp and Smarties even more now that they are part of the Cocoa Plan — Nestlé’s global program dedicated to improving the lives of farmers in cocoa-growing regions. This initiative helps improve the livelihood of cocoa farmers through a number of programs including distributing higher-yield, disease-resistant plants that produce more income, providing education and addressing and eliminating the use of child labour in the cocoa supply chain. Check out The Nestle Cocoa Plan at Nestlecocoaplan.com.

The NHL Alumni Assoc., along with one of Ontario’s leading wineries, have come together in the perfect “wine hat trick” with a three-varietal wine blend specifically crafted in collaboration between the former NHL stars and the winemakers.

“Hockey is Canada,” said Diamond Estate’s Wine and Spirits Ltd, president and CEO Murray Marshall, the winery behind the launch. “What better way to celebrate this long and rich history than with a great bottle of wine that embodies our pride and passion for all things Canadian.”

Plus “proceeds from each bottle sold go right to the NHL Alumni Association to support various charitable causes and promote the game of hockey,” added Marshall. “The NHL Alumni Assoc., is thrilled and very excited to be partnering up with such a quality company like Diamond Estates...we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Diamond,” said Mark Napier, Executive Director of the NHL Alumni Assoc.

The Hat Trick wines are priced at $12.95 and currently available at the LCBO, Diamond Estates “The Winery” in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Diamond Estates and online at Diamondestates.ca/shop.You’re reaching for a handful of health when you reach for naturSource products, a company that specializes in a delicious selection of natural and organic specialty nuts, dried fruit and nut mixes and granolas. The company’s been around for more than 30 years and are dedicated to offering the freshest, high-quality heathy snacking foods. This Canadian family-run business since 1980, has a real passion for good food and the well-being of its customers: The company has a strong “close to earth” philosophy and do not believe in using ingredients that contain artificial additives, colouring, preservatives or added sulphites.

No cocoa damaged in ADM's Pennsylvania plant fireReutersFeb 27, 2012 NEW YORK (Reuters) - A weekend fire in an Archer Daniels Midland Company cocoa processing plant in Pennsylvania did not cause any damage to cocoa supplies, a company spokeswoman said on Monday.

"There was no tangible property damage or impact on production from the incident," said Jessie McKinney, spokeswoman for ADM told Reuters in an email.

The fire was discovered inside a piece of processing equipment at ADM's cocoa processing plant in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, at around 2 a.m. on Feb. 25. It was contained to the process equipment and ductwork, and extinguished by the local fire department roughly 90 minutes later, McKinney said.

One employee was taken to a local hospital for observation and released later that same day, she said.

ADM grinds about 15 percent of the global cocoa supply, making it one of the world's biggest cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, according to the company website.

The Hazle Township plant, which opened in October 2008, is one of six ADM cocoa processing plants in the United States and produces chocolates, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, the website states.



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