Cocoa: Harvester Industry estimates the market improvement, but data from the IBGE concern

The National Association of Cocoa processors Industries (AIPC) is reinforcing the importance of strengthen the mechanisms which will help the country to resume production and grinding of cocoa in Brazil. With an expectation of improvement in the market in 2017, the estimation of the AIPC is that the grind this year surpass the volume of 2016 and will reach 230,000 tons, about 13000 tons more. However, despite the optimistic scenario, the industry points out that the reality of cocoa production in Brazil is still far from the numbers reported recently by the Brazilian Institute of geography and statistics (IBGE), which provides 10% high almond production this year.
It is not now that the AIPC notes the wide divergence between the crop estimate IBGE in relation to effective internal cocoa production, compared with reality than is received by Brazilian industries represented by the AIPC. According to the Institute, the national production of almonds must be of 235,550 tons, more than 20000 tonnes above the 214,065 reached in 2016, pointing the Pará and the Holy Spirit as the main responsible for the Brazilian growth in this cycle.
The data differs a lot from that in fact the industry has received the AIPC Executive Director, Eduardo Bastos. "In 2016, the total receipts of national cocoa was 152,400 tons, far from the crop estimated by IBGE of 214,065 thousand tons," analyzes.
To deal with the figures released by the Federal Government to 2017, Bastos shows that the concern could be even higher. "With the effects of the water crisis still present, which affected mainly Bahia, total receipts by the associated AIPC closed the first half with only 60000 tonnes, far from the volume forecast of 236,000 tons of IBGE. This year hopefully we will receive 170,000 t ".
According to the AIPC has been recurring crop projections with variations far from acceptable, in statistical terms, with what was accomplished effective production, with remaining deliveries short of reality, a fact that for decades. "The industry estimates that we need to find the points that trigger the statistical differences and bring the numbers into reality", says the Executive. Sometimes, the AIPC has promoted meetings with representatives of the IBGE in order to understand the methodology used for the calculation of the crop, but despite the efforts and the good disposition of the Institute, still unable to find an answer.
National production and imports
On the domestic production of cocoa is still below the amount satisfactory to meet the demand of the national processing industry, import of the almond stands as a necessary measure. With a reduction of 77000 tonnes (34%) compared to 2015, Brazil, which was the third largest producer of the fruit, is currently in 6th place in the ranking. The last years were marked by sharp falls in the national crop, especially in the State''s main producer of the fruit, the Bahia. The big reason has been the coming water crisis sweeping Brazilian crops. The input has been insufficient to fuel industry, whose ability to grind, is currently in 275,000 tons. With the delay of the crop early in the first quarter of this year, the sector provides to 2017 the same scenario you need to import the previous year, when the industry had to import tons of cocoa from Ghana 57500.
But it is expected that within the next 10 years, the Brazil resume your position among the 3 largest producers. "We''ve been working for that, always seeking to somehow support the national production, acting in conjunction with the producers in guidelines that seek improvements for cultivation. Pará crops growing each year, and in Bahia we expect a recovery of the crop, due to improved weather conditions this year. Should we have a bumper crop of 170,000 tons, much better than the 2016, which was of the order of 150,000 ", but still insufficient to meet the demand of national milling, reveals Bastos.
However, while Brazilian crops do not take up enough productivity for the internal supply of industries, the industry relies on the import of raw material which has been, solely, of Ghana, one of the largest producers, and hopes that the Brazilian Government return to allow the import of cocoa also Côte d''Ivoire origin authorized since 2001, since all the security measures required by the Health Ministry of agriculture , Livestock and food supply (MAPA) are practiced regularly import processes.
Although the AIPC recognizes the need for import of cocoa to complement the industry''s supply, the organisation points out that this is not the ideal situation, because the measure raises the costs, in addition to being a much more bureaucratic process. "The import is always detrimental, but it has been the only way to cover the production instability in recent decades," says Eduardo Bastos and explains that without imports, the industry would have further reduced their activities in the country, bringing huge losses not only to the sector, but also to producers, since the presence of the milling industry is that ensures the liquidity of the cocoa and prices in General, more interesting than those of the NEW YORK stock exchange.
About AIPC
The National Association of Processing Industries of cocoa, represents 97% of the cocoa processor in Brazil, generating more than 4,200 direct jobs in the five factories located in Bahia and São Paulo. Associated enterprises the AIPC (BARRY CALLEBAUT, CARGILL, OLAM/JOANES and INDECA) settled in Brazil for more than 40 years, when there were plenty of cocoa and large export surpluses.
Today, the country is the sixth largest producer. In the area of confectioneries, Brazil has the third largest confectioner in the World Park, behind the United States and Germany; and strives to become the second in the next few years, but lacks regular and safe supply raw material for your industry, amid a chain of cocoa and chocolates partakes of GDP BRAZIL with more than R $20 billion.