Global Chocolate Shortage Affecting Halloween Candy Prices in Michigan

Now this is scary.

While front yards and neighborhoods across the state are filled with giant 12 foot skeletons, ghouls, and other frightful sights, that's not the scariest thing we'll see this spooky season!

Get our free mobile app

I mean, have you looked at your grocery receipt lately? The price of everything from body wash to eggs to pool chemicals has gone up exponentially, but if that doesn't make you clutch your pearls maybe this will:

There's a global chocolate shortage.

Farmers in West Africa, where 2/3 of the world's cocoa supply comes from, is currently under threat from virus-spreading mealybug while the global climate change is wreaking havoc on sugar cane. Chief Meteorologist at Everstream Analytics, John Davis explains,

This has been a very tough year for global sugar. If you look at the top ten producing countries this year, six of them have had extreme weather and the ramification of that is higher prices for anything that you use sugar for, including candy.

Just like last season, this Halloween doesn't look any better. According to market-watch site Food Manufacturer candy prices are set to soar once again in 2024 again citing,

impacts of both supply chain interruptions and unfavorable weather conditions on the prices of key ingredients, namely cocoa and sugar; the former has seen prices double since the beginning of the year.

This is bad news for those of us who have a sweet tooth or in this case, plan to pass out Halloween candy this year. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about the price tags in the candy aisles of Meijer stores across Michigan right now.

These kids don't understand just how good they have it: simply dress up in a costume and go knocking door to door and adults will give you handfuls of expensive candy? Never grow up.