With the climate change the increase they will see is related Easter this year the consumers at the price of the Easter egg.

As summarized by research brought to the “light of publicity” by the BBC, the largest quantities of chocolate are made from cocoa grown in West Africa, with the production of cocoa trees, however, which are vulnerable to atmospheric changes anyway, having suffered serious damages from the heat waves that hit the area.

They are grown only in a narrow zone of about 20 degrees latitude around the Equator, with most of the production concentrated in West Africa which has been hit by heat waves for nearly two months now.

The high temperatures noted, indicatively increased the rate of evaporation, leaving cocoa crops without sufficient moisture.

But drought is not the only “threat” to cocoa.

Last December, Ivory Coast and Ghana experienced heavy rains.

Total rainfall in West Africa was more than double the 30-year average for this season. The moisture allowed a fungal infection to develop, which rotted the grains on the trees.

Reduced cocoa production as a result has seen prices soar to nearly $8,500 a tonne this week.

The price of cocoa has tripled since this time last year and doubled in just three months.

Chocolate producers usually buy the beans months in advance, but the steep rise in prices is now starting to affect prices in stores.

“Many chocolate manufacturers have already announced price increases. We are also part of this groupMartin Hug of chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli told analysts earlier this month.

In February, Mondelez and Hershey had already warned that rising cocoa prices could lead to higher chocolate prices.

Of course, the damaged and reduced productions are, above all, a “sword of Damocles” for the small farmers who basically make a living working in his crops.