The fungal disease black pod rot, shown here in cacao seed pods, is a serious problem in all areas of the world where the crop is grown. Caused by the fungus Phytophthora, black pod rot causes pod ...

Cocoa prices are melting up. Most-active cocoa futures topped $10,000 a metric ton on Tuesday for the first time ever, bringing their gain for the year to roughly 140%. Futures prices rose $710 a ...

Cocoa prices reached record highs in the 2023/2024 season, as difficult weather conditions and the rapid spread of black pod disease caused huge yield reductions in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana—the ...

El Niño raised temperatures and led to drought stress on the cocoa trees; torrential rains spread black pod, a fungal disease that affects cocoa trees and reduces yields; dry and dusty trade ...

Climate change has an impact on farming success, since cocoa is very moisture reliant —the higher the moisture content, the greater the value of cocoa. Additionally, diseases such as black pod disease ...

Cocoa and powdered chocolate prices jumped by more than 16% in the EU in May 2025 compared to the previous year. Prices in ...

In December 2023, both countries also experienced intense rains, and the wet and humid conditions allowed a fungal infection called black pod disease to flourish, rotting cocoa beans on the trees.

A worker unloads cocoa pods, showing signs of black pod disease, during a harvest at a farm in the town of Kwabeng, Ghana Credit: gaelgogo/ iStock / Getty Images Plus. Lire en français. Cote d ...

The wet and humid conditions allowed a fungal infection called black pod disease to flourish, rotting cocoa beans on the trees. Ms Rumsey said her business was paying about three times as much for ...