Monthly review of the cocoa market situation

We are pleased to announce that the review of the cocoa market situation for March 2007 is currently available.

March 2007 Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics

The International Cocoa Organization released its first forecasts for 2006/07 and revised estimates for the 2005/2006 cocoa year of world production grindings and stocks of cocoa beans. The data, summarized below, are published in issue No. 1 – Volume XXXIII – Cocoa year 2006/07 of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics and reflect the most recent information available to the Secretariat as at end January 2007.

Summary of forecasts and revised estimates

Cocoa year (Oct-Sep) 2006/2007 2007/08 Year-on-year change
 Previous estimates a/  Revised estimates  Forecasts
(thousand tonnes)  (Per cent)
World production 3 592 3 675  3 472 -203 -5.5%
World grindings  3 476 3 462 3 540 +78 +2.3%
Surplus/deficit b/ +80  +176  -103
End-of-season stocks 1 767 1 860 1 757  -103 -5.5%
Stocks/Grindings ratio 50.8% 53.7%  49.6%

Notes:
a/ Estimates published in Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. XXXII – No. 4 – Cocoa year 2005/06
b/ Surplus/deficit: net world crop (gross crop adjusted loss in weight) minus grindings
Totals and differences may differ due to rounding.

This issue of the Bulletin also contains statistical information for the past four years of production and grindings of cocoa beans, detailed by country. In addition, it comments on crop and demand prospects in the leading countries for the current season and provides a review of the price developments in international markets for cocoa beans during the October – December quarter of 2006.

Statistical information on trade in cocoa beans, cocoa products and chocolate, by country and region, published in this edition covers annual data from 2002/03 to 2004/05 and quarterly statistics for the period October – December 2004 to April – June 2006. Details of origin of imports and destination of exports for leading cocoa-importing countries are also provided. Historical statistics on cocoa trade and consumption, by country and region, for the period 1996/97 to 2004/05 are presented for reference.

Copies of the Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, including Microsoft Excel files and Adobe PDF format for Windows operating system can be ordered from the ICCO secretariat at the address below or by clicking on the order form.

International Cocoa Organization
Commonwealth House
1-19 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1NU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7400 5050
Fax: +44 (0)20 7421 5500
E-mail: info@icco.org

Monthly review of the cocoa market situation 2007

We are pleased to announce you that the review of the cocoa market situation for February 2007 is currently available.  As from now, the ICCO Secretariat will be releasing monthly reports on cocoa price movements on international markets.

Monthly review of the cocoa market situation Jan 2007

We are pleased to announce you that the review of the cocoa market situation for January 2007 is currently available.  As from now, the ICCO Secretariat will be releasing monthly reports on cocoa price movements on international markets.

Improvement of cocoa marketing and trade in liberalizing cocoa producing countries

DURATION:
 Seven years including a two year extension.
LOCATION:
 CAMEROON,
COTE D’IVOIRE,
NIGERIA
NATURE OF PROJECT:
 Marketing and Trade
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST:
 US$ 6,509,171
FINANCING COMMITED BY CFC:
 US$ 3,573,266
CO-FINANCING:
 US$ 1,056,195
COUNTERPART FINANCING:
 US$ 1,879,710
PROJECT EXECUTING AGENCY (PEA):
 United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Senegal
PROJECT SUPERVISORY BODY:
 International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
PROJECT STARTING DATE:
 October 1999
COMPLETION DATE:
 September 2005

 

Brief Description

The main activities carried out under the project were promotion of privately-run warehousing systems; development of a cocoa marketing information system (MIS); development of a quality assurance and certification system; and development of a system of commodity trade finances.

 
Project Objectives

The overall objective of the project was to improve the functioning of the supply chain in cocoa-producing countries engaged in the process of liberalization of their cocoa sectors, and to ensure full participation of local operators in the physical trading of cocoa, while reducing trade and price risks.

 
Project Results

The project established and improved market information systems, warehousing up-country, quality assurance and quality enhancement, and a system of structured trade financing as indispensable components of a viable, efficient and transparent cocoa trade and marketing chain.

[media-downloader media_id="792" texts="Click here to download the Project Completion Report (PCR)"]

 

Cocoa germplasm utilization and conservation: a global approach

DURATION:
 Six years after one year extension
LOCATION:
 BRAZIL,
CAMEROON,
COTE D’IVOIRE,
ECUADOR,
GHANA,
MALAYSIA,
NIGERIA,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,
VENEZUELA
NATURE OF PROJECT:
 Research and Development
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST:
 US$ 9,985,940
FINANCING COMMITED BY CFC:
 US$ 2,942,000
CO-FINANCING:
 US$ 1,940,480
COUNTERPART FINANCING:
 US$ 5,104,231
PROJECT EXECUTING AGENCY (PEA):
 Bioversity International
PROJECT SUPERVISORY BODY:
 International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
PROJECT STARTING DATE:
 April 1998
COMPLETION DATE:
 March 2004

 

Brief Description

The main activities of the project were international and local clone trials; internationally co-ordinated hybrid selection trials; population breeding; germplasm enhancement; germplasm conservation, characterization and preliminary evaluation; distribution and quarantine of interesting genotypes; and  exchange of information and workshops.

 
Project Objectives

The project aimed to develop and distribute improved, pest and disease resistant varieties of cocoa planting materials by making optimal use of cocoa germplasm, which produces good quality cocoa and achieves higher and sustainable production levels. This was achieved through screening, selecting and breeding of improved cocoa genotype with economically important traits (yields, resistance to pests and diseases, quality, etc.,), collected from among the great diversity of the germplasm existing in the cocoa producing countries participating in the project.

 
Project Results

A total of 94 ha of international and local trials of new cocoa varieties were established at the different project sites, compared to 55 ha originally planned. Evaluation of the positive characteristics carried out on cocoa genotypes in the collections and breeding trials resulted in the identification of 2,345 promising new selections that would be used in the future. International clone trials, established at ten sites in nine countries, permitted the evaluation of the stability of economically important traits of 20 selected cocoa accessions distributed from intermediate quarantine centres.  Resistance to the three major species of Phytophthora proved to be generally stable and good resistance was identified for nine genotypes.
Local clone trials and observation plots were established in all participating countries.  The most promising local clones were already being used for further breeding and/or for testing in farmers’ plots. Results on early vigour, yield and disease resistance have already been obtained in most countries. These trials have great potential for accelerated selection of new “hybrid clones” within the next few years.
Germplasm enhancement for resistance to Phytophthora pod rot was successfully carried out in Trinidad and Tobago, using the genetic diversity present in the International Cocoa Genebank at Trinidad (ICG,T).  Eleven per cent was classified as ‘resistant’ according to the detached pod test.  The genetic gain of ten per cent would result in a population with better average resistance than that of the resistant control clone.  Using this technique, a total of 856 selected seedlings were established in the field.
The Cocoa Germplasm Conservation, Characterization and Evaluation carried out at the ICG,T enabled the establishment of the so-called ‘CFC/ICCO/IPGRI Project Collection’, which is an international working collection containing 110 accessions possessing valuable agronomic traits and wide genetic diversity.  Distribution of this collection to project partners and other user-countries had been initiated through the intermediate quarantine facility at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

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Project on pilot plants for the processing of cocoa by-products in Ghana

 

DURATION:
 Ten years
LOCATION:
 Ghana
NATURE OF PROJECT:
 Research and development
ESTIMATED TOTAL COST:
 US$ 1,060,000
FINANCING COMMITED BY CFC:
  US$ 595,413
CO-FINANCING:
  –
COUNTERPART FINANCING:
  US$ 464,587
PROJECT EXECUTING AGENCY (PEA):
  CABI International
PROJECT SUPERVISORY BODY:
 International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
PROJECT STARTING DATE:
  September 1993
COMPLETION DATE:
  July 2003

 

 

Brief Description

The project investigated and developed three industries based on processing of three categories of cocoa wastes and by-products. These were: 1) Cocoa pod husk-based industry for production of animal feed; 2) Cocoa pulp juice or cocoa sweatings-based industry for production of alcohol, pectin, jelly, marmalade, jam, wine, vinegar and soft drink; 3) Discarded cocoa-based industry for production of cocoa butter toilet soap, and cocoa butter pomade . The financial and economic viability of the these were analysed.

 
Project Objectives

The overall objective of the project was to develop and transfer appropriate technologies for the commercial processing of cocoa by-products and cocoa wastes to improve the income-generating capacity of the cocoa industry in cocoa-producing countries.

 
Project Results

The project established pilot scale plants for the processing of cocoa wastes and by-products into useful projects.

The cocoa pod husk plant collects and processes fresh cocoa pod husk into animal feed and soft soap using potash. Full annual production capacity was about 5,500 tonnes of pelletized animal feed and 100,000 tablets of soft soap of 500 grams unit weight.

The cocoa sweatings plant collects and processes cocoa sweatings into gin via distillation of alcohol, and jelly with the use of pectin. Full annual production capacity was about 21,000 litres of alcohol processed into about 56,000 bottles of cocoa gin of 750ml, and over 200,000 jars of jelly of 450g.

The discarded cocoa beans plant extracted cocoa butter from cocoa beans discards and process them into cocoa butter soap and pomade. Full annual production capacity was about 300 tonnes of cocoa butter soap and about 30 tonnes of pomade.

The results of the economic analysis of the enterprises indicated a negative Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for the cocoa pod husk based enterprise and positive IRRs for the cocoa sweatings based enterprise and for the discarded cocoa beans based enterprise. The negative IRR for the cocoa pod husk based industry demonstrated that it was very unlikely that this type of enterprise could be made profitable.

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