Limited supply of goods, including sugar and cocoa, as well as global supply chain problems could hurt the production of chocolate rabbits for Easter, German confectioners have warned.
“The market for important raw materials is empty, big supply chains are no longer working,” said Carsten Bernoth, head of the German Confectioners' Association (BDSI). “This could have an impact on Easter needs, such as the production of chocolate rabbits, because there are shortages of important raw materials, packaging and transport materials,” he said.
Confectioners face serious problems from the high prices – worldwide – of goods such as wheat, sugar, milk powder, sunflower oil and soybean oil. Poor harvest in some parts of the world combined with increased demand especially in Asia, have pushed prices to a high level.
The recent rise in energy costs has also hit German industry, Burnoth said. Adding to the financial burden is the rising cost of transporting containers.
However, confectioners in Germany managed to increase their production – including savory snacks – by 1.3% to around 3.9 million tonnes in 2021, despite the impact that Lockdown had on tackling the coronavirus pandemic. sales shrank.
In particular, the production of chocolate products increased in 2021 by 2.7% to about 1.2 million tons, with their value estimated at 5.9 billion euros (+ 5.4% compared to the previous year).
