Chocolate sector registers decrease in production

The Brazilian chocolate closed the first quarter of 2015 with a lower performance compared to the same period in 2014, according to the Brazilian Association of Chocolates, cocoa, peanuts, hard candies and derivatives (ABICAB). The 9.97% decrease in the production of chocolates when 122.9 million tons were produced, was a reflection of the current economic crisis. The country is the third largest producer and consumer of chocolates in the world.
The low performance has been perceived in the last two years – 2013 and 2014--when the segment also showed a fall in the production of 2.11% and 3.49%, respectively. But, in 2015 the decline was the highest ever recorded by ABICAB.
"This quarter was difficult. The crisis moved and in the pocket of the consumer. The increase in inflation, the dollar and the high price of fuel, and the new taxes are the main factors that affected the industry's performance, "says Vice President of Chocolates of ABICAB, Dan Franco.
With a per capita consumption of 2.8 kg per person, Brazil remains one of the major players in the global market of chocolate. According to Fonseca, there is little expectation of a recovery from the second quarter of this year. "Even so, the result of 2015 should be negative, but in a smaller volume than the verified in the first three months," she concludes.