LINDALE, Texas (KETK) – The price of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, has been on an unsweet price hike for the last two years.
“A dramatic increase,” Lindale Candy Company co-owner Jeremiah Cagle said.
A year ago, suppliers could purchase the beans from other countries for just under $3000 a ton.
“Now today it’s trading at as high as $13,000 a ton,” Cagle said.
Cagle said cocoa growers aren’t able to keep up with demand.
“A lot of it’s due to crop production is extremely down and that’s on the account of some storms, some adverse weather conditions,” Cagle said.
It’s all led to three price increases in a year’s time and another one already in 2025.
“We’ve seen our prices go up 200%,” Cagle said.
As East Texans are shopping for their Valentine’s Day treats, they could start to see a price increase.
“Those Hershey’s bars and Snickers bars and Nestlé, those prices have all gone up too, so they’ve already started to react,” Cagle said.
Cagle is thankful most of their products’ price tags are still what they were five years ago when they took over the candy store, but they have had to raise some prices.
“It hasn’t slowed anybody down in terms of coming and still wanting something sweet,” Cagle said.
The National Confectioners Association said that despite the higher cost, 95 percent of American households still purchase chocolate treats.
“We run this business based off of our faith and not the fear that the markets and the world gives us,” Cagle said.
The Lindale Candy Company said they are expecting more hikes in the cost of cocoa but they’re working to make sure their customers get the best products at the best price.