Cocoa Futures Higher
2026-08-17 08:44
By
Luisa Carvalho
1 min. read
Cocoa futures rose toward $5,800 per tonne, supported by a weaker US dollar and falling inventories, alongside concerns over the 2026/27 crop outlook.
Although the current season has seen a substantial improvement in supply, traders are increasingly pricing in the possibility of tighter conditions next season as weather risks build across West Africa.
In Ivory Coast, farmers have warned that plantations need more sunshine following a period of below-average rainfall and cooler temperatures, with continued unfavorable conditions potentially hampering development of the September-to-February main crop.
The developing El Niño pattern is adding to production risks, prompting StoneX in late July to cut its estimate for the 2026/27 global cocoa surplus to 25,000 MT from 149,000 MT in April.
Limiting the upside, however, COCOBOD’s new financing model has eased concerns that liquidity constraints in Ghana could disrupt cocoa purchases and exports.