Cocoa Butter Price Trend and Forecast

Cocoa Butter Regional Price Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Cocoa Butter in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for Q2 of 2025

During the second quarter of 2025, cocoa butter prices experienced a sharp rebound after a relatively weaker start to the year. This increase was mainly driven by the sudden surge in cocoa bean prices in May, which rose due to fresh concerns over bean quality and persistent weather problems in major producing regions like Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Since cocoa butter is directly derived from cocoa beans, any volatility in bean supply had a direct impact on cocoa butter pricing.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Chart

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Although harvest volumes were slightly better in some areas, much of the crop lacked the quality that chocolate producers demand. This led to delays in purchases and disrupted the flow of high-grade beans into processing, which added to upward pressure on cocoa butter prices. Export delays and dry conditions further limited the supply of usable beans, tightening availability of cocoa butter as well. Efforts by other producers, such as Nigeria, helped calm the market slightly, but buyers remained cautious due to inconsistency in product quality.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, if poor weather continues and quality issues worsen; Cocoa Butter prices may rise further and possibly reach new highs in the months ahead.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for Q1 of 2025

In the first quarter of 2025, cocoa butter prices saw a noticeable and consistent increase. This was mainly due to a sharp rise in cocoa bean prices, driven by poor weather and crop diseases in major producing countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

These issues caused a serious drop in cocoa supply, affecting all cocoa-based products, including cocoa butter. With cocoa butter being a key ingredient in both chocolate and cosmetics, the reduced bean availability led to lower production, tightening its supply even more.

Strong global demand, especially from the chocolate industry, kept pushing prices up. U.S. tariffs on cocoa and chocolate imports added to the pressure, especially for American buyers. This caused higher production costs across the board. Premium chocolate makers, who rely on high-quality cocoa butter, struggled to manage these rising costs. Many had to either raise product prices, reduce the variety of items they offered, or look for alternative suppliers to keep their business running.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, Cocoa Butter prices are expected to stay unstable in the coming months due to ongoing climate challenges and trade tensions.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for the Second Half of 2024

The second half of 2024 remained a challenging period for the cocoa butter market, largely driven by the rise in cocoa prices. The cocoa sector faced significant supply disruptions due to multiple factors, including adverse weather conditions in key production regions such as West Africa. A poor harvest in West Africa, which accounts for nearly 70% of the world’s cocoa supply, was attributed to harsh weather, aging cocoa trees, pests, diseases, and the encroachment of gold mining on agricultural land.

Consequently, the ratio of cocoa stocks to grinding capacity fell to its lowest level in 45 years. This persistent imbalance between supply and demand kept cocoa prices elevated, which directly increased the costs of cocoa butter. These rising costs posed a critical challenge for industries relying on cocoa butter, such as chocolate, confectionery, and cosmetics.

In response, some manufacturers began exploring alternatives, including substitutes derived from palm kernel and sunflower oil, to alleviate financial pressures. Furthermore, with the ongoing difficulties in maintaining steady cocoa supplies and rising input costs, businesses are likely to adjust their strategies. These adjustments may include raising product prices further or reformulating products to incorporate alternative ingredients.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the cocoa butter market is not likely to relax anytime soon as the chronic supply shortages will likely keep the prices hinged in the coming year as well.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for the First Half of 2024

In the first half of 2024, cocoa butter prices experienced a sharp rise due to a combination of global supply shortages, underinvestment in cocoa farms, and increased investor speculation. The primary cocoa-producing region of West Africa faced severe droughts caused by climate change, which significantly reduced yields and contributed to a broader global cocoa supply decline. These structural issues, exacerbated by aging cocoa trees and a lack of reinvestment in farming infrastructure, have put additional strain on the market.

As demand for cocoa butter remains high, chocolate manufacturers have been forced to grapple with rising production costs, passing these on to consumers through price hikes and product shrinkflation. This, in turn, has led to shifts in consumer behavior, with some opting for alternative snacks over chocolate. To mitigate these impacts, chocolate brands have turned to recipe innovations, such as reducing cocoa content by incorporating more fruits and nuts. However, the outlook for cocoa butter prices remains uncertain as the market awaits improved weather conditions and enhanced farming practices that could stabilize supply. Until then, the market is likely to remain volatile, challenging manufacturers and consumers alike to adapt to ongoing price pressures.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, not much relief is in sight for Cocoa Butter prices; further, the prices are expected to remain on the growing trajectory in the coming months.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for the Second Half of 2023

Cocoa butter comes from cocoa seeds, so the market trends are observed to be in close alliance with each other. During the said period of H2’23, the cocoa butter prices continued their inclined price trajectory with even more steepness. The unseasonal rainfall patterns and the El Nino weather changes reflected badly on the cocoa crop.

The ports in Ivory Coast, the primary cocoa-producing region in the world, noticed around 33% decline in the available supplies in the month of November. Meanwhile, growth for cocoa butter has been on the rise from the beauty, flavor, aroma, and cosmetic industries.

Ghana’s cocoa production, too, fell to a 13-year record low. Both these regions of Ghana and Ivory Coast constitute around 70% of global cocoa supplies. Hence, owing to limited supplies and rising demands, cocoa butter prices surged throughout the discussed time period.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, given the current supply and demand attributes, the Cocoa Butter price trends are likely to surge even further in the coming months.
 

Cocoa Butter Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Cocoa Butter is extracted from the cocoa seeds after removing its cover. Cocoa Butter is rich in chocolate flavor and aroma and is essentially used in chocolate production along with chocolate-based cosmetic products. So, the chocolate/cocoa price trend are direct reflectors of the Cocoa Butter price trend as well.

During the discussed time period of H1’23, Cocoa Butter prices remained on an inclining trajectory. The increased price trend were a direct result of a mismatch between the market dynamics and pricing fundamentals. The recession mounted in Europe after Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine, which caused the European suppliers to become hesitant and ordered less, limiting the supplies. Further, high fertilizer costs and the drought-like situation in Africa suppressed crop yields, directly impacting the price trend for Cocoa Butter.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, given the El Nino phenomenon, reduced rainfall is expected to lower the Cocoa productivity further; thus, the Cocoa Butter prices are expected to rise in the upcoming months as well.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Cocoa Butter. Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.