COPAL COCOA Info. 227.doc · Web view"The main crop is finished, the representative said, and work is beginning on a new crop. "We only hope the prices stay like this a little while

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ICCO DAILY COCOA

PRICES UP-COMING EVENTS LONDON & NEW YORK

FUTURES MARKETS UPDATE

SPOT PRICES NEWS TIT- BITS

ORDER FORM -14TH INTERNATIONAL COCOA REASEARCH CONFERENCE

COPAL COCOACOPAL COCOA InfoInfo A Weekly Newsletter of Cocoa Producers' Alliance

Issue No. 227 16th – 20th April 2007

ICCO Daily Cocoa PricesICCO daily

price(US$/tonne)

Londonfutures

(£/tonne)

New YorkFutures

(US$/tonne)

16th April 2029.55 1056.00 1959.67

17th April 2076.65 1070.67 2009.33

18th April 2045.14 1056.00 1978.33

19th April 1958.67 1015.33 1888.00

20th April 2000.07 1035.33 1928.33

Average 2022.00 1047.00 1953.00

Special Announcement

In the News: Cargill patents new cocoa processing method Cocoa Board signs agreement with ICI Agriculture Ministry to Undertake Study of Cocoa Industry Ghana says to meet 2008 child cocoa labour target Mars Increases Support For Improved Cocoa Practices Cocoa production declines in Ramu Produce wholesome cocoa beans – COCOBOD Cocoa bests tea in pressure study

Mass-market chocolate goes upmarket Cocoa loco Ivory Coast cocoa farmers miss high prices Supply Worries Slam Cocoa Market News: TradeSignals Cocoa Futures Morning Commentary Guittard protests proposal to allow vegetable oil in chocolate LATEST FUTURES NEWS

Have you had your cocoa today?

Wageningen International Seminar on Market access and sustainable development

(Details on Page 6)

International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE)London Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities

(£ per tonne)

Monday 16th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change Daily High Daily Low Volume

May 2007 1025 1025 0 1032 1022 3140

Jul 2007 1042 1043 0 1049 1039 3234

Sep 2007 1059 1058 -1 1065 1055 1763

Dec 2007 1071 1067 -2 1075 1066 1145

Mar 2008 1074 1069 -4 1074 1069 313

May 2008 1081 1077 -3 1081 1080 17

Jul 2008 1084 -3 0

Sep 2008 1092 -2 0

Dec 2008 1101 -2 0

Mar 2009 1108 -2 0

Totals 1072 9,612

Tuesday 17th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1024 1040 15 1045 1024 4184

Jul 2007 1040 1058 15 1063 1040 4626

Sep 2007 1057 1073 15 1075 1057 2552

Dec 2007 1067 1081 14 1086S 1067 1817

Mar 2008 1071 1083 14 1088 1070S 827

May 2008 1079 1091 14 1090 1079 37

Jul 2008 1098 14 0

Sep 2008 1107 1106 14 1107S 1107S 10

Dec 2008 1115 14 0

Mar 2009 1122 14 0

Totals 1087 14,053

Wednesday 18th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1043 1025 -15 1051 1018 2045

Jul 2007 1058 1043 -15 1068 1034 4540

Sep 2007 1073 1058 -15 1083 1052 1375

Dec 2007 1083 1067 -14 1090 1061 1274

Mar 2008 1083 1071 -12 1095 1062 568

May 2008 1079 -12 0

Jul 2008 1104 1086 -12 1104 1104 10

Sep 2008 1094 -12 0

Dec 2008 1121 1103 -12 1123S 1121 15

Mar 2009 1110 -12 0

Totals 1074 9,827

COCOA PRODUCERS’ ALLIANCE, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, P.O. BOX 1718, LAGOS, NIGERIA. TEL: +234(0)1-263-5574 FAX: +234(0)1-263-5684 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.copal-cpa.orgPage 2

http://www.nybot.com/reports/dmrs/etsDMRs/dmrFutures.asp?dmrMonth=04&dmrDay=10&dmrYear=2007&commodityID=1&commodityType=future

mailto:[email protected]






Thursday 19th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1011 981 -44 1013 974 9465Jul 2007 1028 1000 -43 1030 992 13790

Sep 2007 1046 1018 -40 1046 1010 3417Dec 2007 1050 1028 -39 1053 1021 2271

Mar 2008 1055 1036 -35 1055 1030 921May 2008 1040 1043 -36 1040 1037 49

Jul 2008 1059 1049 -37 1059 1049 26Sep 2008 1068 1057 -37 1070 1057S 60

Dec 2008 1066 -37 0Mar 2009 1073 -37 0

Totals 1035 29,999

Friday 20th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 985 1005 24 1006 957 3,604

Jul 2007 1006 1020 20 1023 976 5,789Sep 2007 1023 1038 20 1040 994 2,570

Dec 2007 1036 1048 20 1041S 1007S 1,846Mar 2008 1041 1056 20 1053 1017S 463

May 2008 1053 1063 20 1053 1022 401Jul 2008 1041 1069 20 1051 1032S 387

Sep 2008 1067 1077 20 1067 1045 13Dec 2008 1086 20 0

Mar 2009 1093 20 0Totals 1056 15,073

Average for the week 1068 15713Total for the week 78,564





New York Board of Trade(New York Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities)

(US$ per tonne)

Monday 16th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1898 0 1903 18 1914 1896 9591

Jul 2007 1922 1928 1935 23 1943 1922 8924

Sep 2007 1945 0 1960 25 1965 1945 308

Dec 2007 0 0 1984 26 1979 1979 179

Mar 2008 0 0 2002 27 0 0 14

May 2008 0 0 2016 27 0 0 9

Jul 2008 0 0 2030 27 0 0 0

Sep 2008 0 0 2050 26 0 0 39

Dec 2008 0 0 2067 28 0 0 0

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1795 19064

Tuesday 17th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1918 0 1956 53 1965 1910 1684

Jul 2007 1953 1958 1989 54 1998 1950 8877

Sep 2007 0 0 2013 53 2015 1985 401

Dec 2007 0 0 2035 51 2043 2007 1107

Mar 2008 0 0 2056 54 0 0 85

May 2008 0 0 2070 54 0 0 9

Jul 2008 0 0 2081 51 0 0 18

Sep 2008 0 0 2104 54 0 0 0

Dec 2008 0 0 2118 51 0 0 0

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1842 12181

Wednesday 18th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1985 2000 1942 -14 2000 1930 824

Jul 2007 2005 2010 1956 -33 2014 1943 10504

Sep 2007 2027B 2037A 1981 -32 1980 1980 545

Dec 2007 0 0 2003 -32 2010 1998 401

Mar 2008 0 0 2023 -33 0 0 296

May 2008 0 0 2037 -33 0 0 0

Jul 2008 0 0 2047 -34 0 0 0

Sep 2008 0 0 2071 -33 0 0 0

Dec 2008 0 0 2085 -33 0 0 0

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1815 12570










Thursday 19th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1891 1897 1852 -90 1897 1840 793

Jul 2007 1897 1899 1863 -93 1899 1850 14294

Sep 2007 1920 0 1889 -92 1920 1878 1461

Dec 2007 0 0 1912 -91 1937 1901 1171

Mar 2008 0 0 1933 -90 0 0 150

May 2008 0 0 1947 -90 1963 1963 32

Jul 2008 0 0 1954 -93 0 0 33

Sep 2008 0 0 1980 -91 0 0 6

Dec 2008 0 0 1995 -90 1990 1990 27

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1733 17967

Friday 20th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1820 1830 1887 35 1875 1810 172

Jul 2007 1825 1835 1905 42 1910 1825 9837

Sep 2007 1848 0 1931 42 1925 1848 735

Dec 2007 1885 0 1954 42 1950 1885 593

Mar 2008 0 1905A 1975 42 0 0 0

May 2008 0 0 1989 42 0 0 42

Jul 2008 0 0 1999 45 0 0 168

Sep 2008 0 0 2024 44 0 0 63

Dec 2008 0 0 2038 43 2003 2003 25

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1770 11463

Average for the week 1791 18311Total for the week 73,245

Spot Prices (US$ per tonne)16th April 17th April 18th April 19th April 20th April

Main Crop Ghana, Grade 1 2316 2370 2337 2244 2286

Main Crop Ivory Coast, Grade 1 2220 2274 2241 2148 2190

Main Crop Nigerian, 1 2190 2244 2211 2118 2160

Superior Arriba 2793 2847 2814 2721 2763

Sanchez f.a.q. 2207 2261 2228 2135 2177

Malaysian 110 1930 1984 1951 1858 1900

Sulawesi f.a.q. 1972 2026 1993 1900 1942

Ecuador Cocoa Liquor 3786 3892 3827 3645 3727Pure Prime Press African Type Cocoa Butter 5405 5556 5464 5204 5321

10/12% Natural Cocoa Press Cake 942 968 952 907 927Source: Cocoa Merchants’ Association






Wageningen International Market access and sustainable development (More details attached - includes application form & list of eligible countries for NFP fellowship)

Period: November 5 – 16, 2007Duration: 2 weeksApplication deadline: October 5, 2007Fellowship application deadline: June 1, 2007

Course focusThis international course is an introduction to how markets can be used as tools to alleviate poverty in a sustainable manner. The topic will be approached via two related questions, namely:1. How can the poor effectively engage in market development?2. How can the poor access markets better with their products?

Aims and objectivesThe course aims to support policy makers, development organisations and professionals in their new role as market facilitators. This course introduces participants to the conceptual frameworks related to market development which can be used to analyse the market context and identify pro-poor development opportunities within it. The course also provides practical tools and instruments to be used to develop appropriate market-driven policies, business programs and private sector development projects

Who can participate?The course is intended for staff of government departments, non-government and civil society organizations, business associations, and development agencies, and for other professionals working in the domain of market-driven development.

Typically, participants will be drawn from the following positions: Policy/planning staff with responsibility for drafting strategic policies and development programs; Program officers and managers with responsibility for the drafting and/or implementation of

development programs and projects; Staff members of universities and colleges of higher education with responsibility for curriculum

development, training and capacity building.

Requirements for admissionApplicants should meet the following requirements:

B.Sc. in (agricultural) economics, social or agricultural sciences, or equivalent background through alternative training and experience;

At least three years of professional experience in a relevant field; Proven competence in the English language.

FeesThe tuition fee is € 2900 for two weeks, which includes administration fees, lecture materials and excursions.

AccommodationParticipants can be accommodated in the Wageningen International Conference Centre on the basis of full board and lodging. Prices are available upon request. This sum is not included in the tuition fee.

ApplicationThe admission deadline for application directly to Wageningen International, with funding other than an NFP fellowship, is October 5th, 2007. Further information and application forms can be obtained from the address below.

Wageningen International CD&IC Programme*P.O. Box 88, 6700 AB Wageningen, The NetherlandsTelephone: +31 317 495 495 ; Fax: +31 317 495 395E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.cdic.wur.nl




NewsCargill patents new cocoa processing methodBy Catherine Boal4/17/2007 - US based cocoa producer Cargill has developed a new method of processing cocoa which allows for reduced fat content and greater dispersibility in cocoa powder. The process, which was awarded a patent last week, decreases the fat content in cocoa mass using a solvent and adds a dispersing agent to the reduced-fat mass - ultimately producing a more user-friendly product which will appeal to manufacturers.

Traditional methods of extracting cocoa powder from the cocoa bean are complex and difficult. Common practice involves processing the bean into cocoa nibs and then cocoa liquor. The liquor is then further treated to separate the components cocoa butter from cocoa powder. This is usually done by pressing the liquor, leaving a solid mass which is cooled and milled to produce the fine powder used in confectionery and beverage applications.

However, in pressing the liquor into a cake-like form, residual cocoa butter can be left in the resulting powder - rendering it lumpy and insoluble when mixed with water or milk as in chocolate-flavoured drinks.

While most manufacturers add a dispersing agent such as lecithin to prevent this problem this increases production costs and raises the fat content of the final product.

Cargill's solution of adding a dispersing agent to a solvent cocoa mass claims to provide more uniform mixing properties, reduce costs, offer manufacturers more flexibility in their choice of dispersing agents and lower the fat content. Cocoa Board signs agreement with ICI Source: GNA19-Apr-2007 The Ghana Cocoa Board has signed a 19.6 thousand dollar financial package with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) to help train media personnel on sensitization programmes on the elimination of child labour in cocoa growing communities. The package is part of a 500,000-dollar initiative for Ghana by the ICI to carry out various activities in the Cocoa sector.

Mr Isaac Osei, Chief Executive of COCOBOD and Mr Peter McAllister, Executive Director, ICI initialled the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions. Mr Osei said the programme would also aim at sensitizing stakeholders in the sector, especially frontline staff and cocoa farmers on the need to eliminate worse form of child Labour in the country.

Mr Osei said while child labour in Africa is deeply enshrined on the needs of parents to inculcate into the children some cultural practices, it was important that those issues that play on the development of the child, especially denial of education and hazardous work be dealt with and eliminated.

The Deputy Director Of Research and head of Child Labour Desk of COCOBOD, Mrs. Agnes Kyei-Frimpong, said in efforts to eliminate the worse form of child Labour in cocoa growing communities in the country, her outfit had trained 204 frontline staff and field officers to help upgrade their skills and knowledge on child labour issues. She said under the programme, effective radio programmes would be adopted by trained producers and presenters to help reach audience in those cocoa growing communities in their local languages. Mrs Kyei-Frimpong said in the collaboration with the ICI, the programme would commence soon and expressed the hope that the programme would go a long way to educate parents to stem the practice.

Mr. Peter McAllister said the programme was not only good for the country but would provide the international community about efforts being made to stop the canker.

Mr. McAllister said he was pleased to be associated with the programme and that it was critical to identify and support such an initiative.




Agriculture Ministry to Undertake Study of Cocoa IndustryKINGSTON(JIS)Thursday, April 19, 2007The Ministry of Agriculture and Landswill be undertaking a study of the cocoa industry with the aim of increasing production in this sector.

Minister Roger Clarke, who was contributing to the 2007/08 budget debate today (April 18) in Gordon House, said that the United States Agency for International Development has offered to fund approximately 75 per cent of the cost of the study.

The intention, he said, is to increase acreages under production to achieve exports of 1,400 tonnes within the next five years. "A key strategy in this regard is to move up higher on the value chain, bearing in mind the possibilities that will now exist in the European market," he stated.

Meanwhile, he said that the Ministry is in the process of formulating a market-driven mechanism for setting cocoa price, to ensure more timely adjustments in price to provide incentives for farmers to maintain existing plants and establish new acreages.

Ghana says to meet 2008 child cocoa labour targetBy Orla RyanFri 20 Apr 2007, ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana is on track to meet targets to eradicate child labour on cocoa farms, following concern that West African children were being exploited to produce chocolate, the government said on Friday.

Ghana is the No. 2 cocoa producer after neighbouring Ivory Coast and the two countries grow two thirds of world supply. There have been widespread accusations that children, some trafficked, work on farms, especially in Ivory Coast, which has put pressure on chocolate companies to eliminate child exploitation.

Chocolate makers missed a 2005 deadline to certify labour conditions on cocoa farms but are now working to meet a July 2008 industry deadline to monitor labour conditions on 50 percent of West African farms. "We have the mechanisms in place, we are committed to meeting it, we see no problem," Akosua Frema Osei Opare, deputy minister of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment told Reuters on Friday.

The 2008 deadline is part of a voluntary industry initiative, the Harkin-Engel protocol, named after American Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Eliot Engel who championed it.

CHILD TRAFFICKING

Child labour on cocoa farms has long been a contentious issue for chocolate firms and African governments alike.

Human rights campaigners have said those working on Ivory Coast's cocoa farms include children trafficked from impoverished northern neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, on the edge of the Sahara.

Some migrant children work on farms in Ghana, mostly from northern Ghana, but industry officials say the phenomenon is on nowhere near the same scale as in Ivory Coast.

On Friday, the Ghanaian government published a pilot labour survey which found the vast majority of children working on cocoa farms also lived with their families and attended school. "The key finding is that cocoa is a family enterprise. It is not big plantations. Children do engage in various activities relating to cocoa farming. The children work with their families," the deputy minister said adding there was "no serious indication" of trafficking. "Children do work on farms, but it is part-time. Over 90 percent of children are enrolled in school," she added. "They are mainly working at weekends and sometimes after school."

This survey, which involved 600 cocoa farming households, is a representative sample of 10 percent of Ghanaian cocoa farms and a step on the way to meeting next year's 50 percent target. A 2002 survey by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture said 284,000 children were working in dangerous conditions on West African cocoa farms, mainly in Ivory Coast.




Mars Increases Support For Improved Cocoa PracticesApril 20th, 2007 Mars, Inc. is committing $4.5 million to provide economic, educational and environmental assistance to communities and individuals in West Africa. The 3-year initiative doubles the company's existing annual contribution to the International Cocoa Initiative and adds partnerships with Africare, the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the Rainforest Alliance.

"Mars is committed to long-term solutions to enhance the lives of the people and communities where cocoa is farmed, and we expect these partnerships to positively benefit thousands of African farmers and their families," said Brice Russell, chief procurement officer, in a prepared statement.

The efforts are designed to increase economic assistance for local cocoa farmers, improve local infrastructure and education and enhance agricultural sustainability. The company is also continuing its support for the Sustainable Tree Crops Program, which educates farmers through Farmer Field Schools and helps introduce best practices for cocoa production in Africa, as well as its program with Winrock International, which enhances educational opportunities for West African children.

Editor's Insight: This is an interesting tidbit for vending operators to include in their customer newsletters. It isn't earth shattering news, but many consumers want to support companies that are making an effort to improve agricultural sustainability, along with other efforts to support environmental and worker wellness.

Another example is fair trade coffee, which has gained more support among consumers over the years. 04-20-07 by Elliot Maras

Cocoa production declines in RamuThe National, Papua New Guinea - Apr 19, 2007By JEFFREY ELAPACOCOA production in the Middle Ramu electorate in Madang province is declining due to high transportation cost. George Buri, one of the first cocoa growers in the Aiome district, told The National that most cocoa growers had been forced to cease all cocoa production because they were not making any profits. He said most of the money they receive after the sales of cocoa went to transport leaving them with nothing. He said this practice had forced the growers from taking interest in producing cocoa because it was not viable to generate sufficient income. Mr Buri said that transporting the products by air cost a grower about K80 per bag while hiring dugout canoes to transport by water cost more than K300, which was an unreliable exercise depending on the weather. He said sometimes heavy rain destroyed their cocoa beans, and when sold they earn less than what they expected to get. He said it took about a week to finally reach Madang to sell their cocoa at the depots.“We sometimes have to wait for days, if there are no vehicles, to transport our cocoa bags to town from Bundi or Base Camp.” Mr Buri said lack of road access to the area was the biggest huddle for the people and for all other developments to take place in the area. He said successive leaders had never considered building a road link to the area to help improve the living standards of the people.He said he started planting cocoa in 1980 and set up his own fermentary in 1990 but he had never made any profit from all his hard work.

Mr Buri said he used his own initiative to assist people in his area to grow cocoa and ordered 55,000 hybrid cocoa seeds from Keravat to distribute to interested growers. “However, this interest is diminishing because people realise that there are no positive returns from their hard work.” He said the Middle Ramu district produced disease free and organic cocoa seeds but the huge transport cost incurred was the biggest single burden for not actively participating in cocoa production.

Produce wholesome cocoa beans - COCOBOD Source: GNA20-Apr-2007 Previous Page The Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Officer of the Quality Control Division of the COCOBOD, Mr Noah Kwasi Ababio Prah, has urged farmers to produce good quality cocoa beans to increase demand on the




market. He explained that inability of farmers to comply with such directives could affect the demand of the commodity at the world market.

Mr Prah made the call at a farmers' forum organized by the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association at Kuntanase on Wednesday. He urged farmers to properly foment and dry their cocoa beans before they sell them to the produce buying companies. Mr Prah also advised them to use the recommended insecticides and chemicals on their farms for a higher yield.

Mr Edward Gbamara Dery, the District Director of Agriculture, called on the farmers to ensure that insecticides and logistics supplied to spraying gangs for cocoa spraying were not diverted for other purposes. He advised farmers to heed the directives on modern farming methods by agricultural extension officers to improve yield.

The District Chief Executive for Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma, Mr Bright Addai-Mununkum, said he was not happy about the failure of some farmers to repay loans granted by government and urged them to repay the loans so that others could benefit from the package.

Nana Matthew Adarkwah, the District Chief Farmer, appealed to government to provide farmers with the necessary inputs to increase productivity.

Cocoa bests tea in pressure studyReuters, Published on: 04/18/07 Some may see a cup of tea as soothing, but chocolate is more likely to lower one's blood pressure, German researchers report.Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure, but drinking green and black tea may not, according to an analysis of previously published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, published by the American Medical Association.

The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed cocoa products for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood pressure.The fall in blood pressure credited to cocoa could be expected to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by 10 percent to 20 percent, the report said.Both cocoa and tea contain polyphenols, a class of chemicals known to help prevent cardiovascular disease that are present in most fruits and vegetables. But cocoa has a different type than tea — procyanids — that appear to be more active.Currently, patients with high blood pressure are urged to eat more fruits and vegetables, although cocoa and tea products account for the bulk of total polyphenol consumption in Western countries, the study said.

Mass-market chocolate goes upmarket By Anthony Reuben Business Reporter, BBC News Deeply Dark is supposed to appeal to those who prefer milk chocolate. Hershey's has done it, Woolworths has done it and now Cadbury's is doing it too. They are all moving into upmarket, dark chocolate.

In 2006, Woolworths' sales of dark chocolate more than doubled from the previous year. Earlier this year Hershey's, the biggest US chocolate maker, announced plans to cut 1,500 jobs as part of a restructuring programme designed to allow investment in higher-margin products, especially premium dark chocolate. Now, Cadbury's is launching a new version of its century-old Bournville dark chocolate.

The current recipe for Bournville contains 36% cocoa solids. The new Deeply Dark version will have 60%.

Revolution of dark chocolate "The recipe for Bournville Classic was the ideal dark chocolate 100 years ago and it still has a strong group who love the taste and have grown up with it," says Magali Barreyat-Baron, brand manager for Deeply Dark. "What



A cup of cocoa may be beneficial to your blood pressure, says one study.


http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2007/04/16/bhcocoa0418a.html

we're doing is trying to keep the brand that the English public love but try to take it with us into the next century and the next revolution of dark chocolate."

But the company says it has formulated the chocolate to suit the palate of the British public that is more used to milk chocolate.

The verdict in an - admittedly entirely unscientific - straw poll suggests that Cadbury's has succeeded in its aim. Among a handful of volunteer tasters, people who do not usually go for dark chocolate were enthusiastic about it - but those who generally prefer dark were not as impressed. Sara Jayne Stanes, Chairman of the Academy of Chocolate agrees that overcoming the British palate is a challenge. "Unfortunately, 98% of the population has grown up on chocolate confectionery with loads of sugar and not much cocoa," she says.

Too much vegetable fat But she is cautiously optimistic about the new brand. "I see it as a good thing," she says. "I hope it means that more people will start to understand chocolate." Manufacturers in other European countries have traditionally been scathing of British chocolate for containing too little cocoa and too much vegetable fat. Having made its first foray into high-cocoa chocolate with the acquisition of Green & Black's in 2005, Cadbury's now sees the move into higher-cocoa chocolate as part of a trend towards products that are closer to their continental equivalents.

"Everybody in this country is awakening to what dark chocolate can offer in terms of taste experience, in terms of benefit for you, and is learning to appreciate it the way we've learned to appreciate wine and coffee alongside what we've been consuming for the past decades," Magali Barreyat-Baron says.

To get a dark chocolate enthusiast's verdict, the BBC asked Martin Christy, editor of the chocolate connoisseur's website seventypercent.com, to taste the new bar.

He is not very impressed. "I found it quite rank at first and after about 20 seconds you can taste the flavourings - it's like eating compost or wet wood," he says. "Then there's a metallic aftertaste, which is like putting a battery on your tongue. "I don't think it compares favourably with supermarket brands at the same sort of price or, ironically, Green & Black's."

Cocoa locohttp://www.sundayherald.com/life/people/display.var.1346502.0.cocoa_loco.phpBy Sarah EwingYou feel guilty when you sneak treats from the cupboard, but the right kind can be healthy. Really…CommentHAVING SCOFFED all your Easter chocolate, you may be feeling bad, but not all chocolate is equal. If you're a fan of dark chocolate and cocoa, then you could actually be health-savvy.

Dark chocolate is naturally rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals. Cocoa contains both antioxidants and anti-coagulants, which is a natural property of aspirin, and they help prevent blood clots. Cocoa butter in chocolate acts like olive oil, as it contains a number of essential oils good for strengthening the bones, hair, nails, and skin. To obtain any health benefit from chocolate, you must find some that is at least 70% cocoa.

Lower blood pressure and control of blood sugar levels: A study by the University of L'Aguila in Italy found that eating 100g of dark chocolate every day lowered blood pressure and evened blood sugar levels. Scientists think this is the flavanol in dark chocolate, which mediates nitric oxide production, a compound necessary for healthy blood flow. Flavanols are antioxidants that repair damage and protect against toxins, counteracting free radicals that lead to cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that dark chocolate can boost blood antioxidant levels by a huge 20%. Milk chocolate doesn't have the same benefits, as its cocoa content has been diluted with bad fats and sugars, and the milk is thought to block absorption of any existing protective antioxidants. A study from the Journal of Hypertension found that hypertensive people who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop significantly.




Lower cholesterol: Dark chocolate has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol by up to 10%, according to a Tufts University study. It also has oleic acid, a healthy fat that has cardiovascular, cancer-fighting, and skin boosting properties.

Pain relief and reduced anxiety: Dark chocolate's theobromine, caffeine, tyramine and phenylethylamine (PEA) stimulate the production of serotonin and endorphins, the body's natural opiates.

Improved brain function: Researchers at the University of Nottingham have found improved brain performance and blood flow in female subjects who were given a cocoa drink high in flavanols.

A study from Wheeling Jesuit University in the US has shown that the theobromine and phenyl-ethylamine in chocolate increases mental performance and flavanols have been shown to improve memory and concentration. Scientists are now trying to use these findings to help dementia sufferers. A lot of the cocoa sold today is low in flavanols, so check the labels first.

Increased muscular endurance: Researchers at Indiana University found that chocolate milk helped cyclists on endurance tests more effectively than some sports drinks.

Better skin (yes really!): German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of flavonoid-enriched cocoa every day. After three months, their skin was more moist and smooth.

Sex drive boost: Chocolate really is an aphrodisiac. The stimulants in it kickstart the part of the brain responsible for moods and emulate falling in love.

Go one step further and try raw chocolate, aka cacao nibs or beans. Some experts believe raw chocolate is the best source in the world of chromium, magnesium, and anandamide (the "bliss chemical"). It has 15 times more antioxidants than blueberries, 20 times more than red wine, and 30 times more than green tea. And pure cocoa (as in raw chocolate) contains almost no caffeine.

Raw chocolate packs a punch with its heart, hormone, and mood-boosting properties. Around 25g a day or 50g twice a week is recommended for the maximum benefit.

Ivory Coast cocoa farmers miss high pricesFri Apr 20, 2007, © ReutersBy Loucoumane Coulibaly and Marcy NicholsonABIDJAN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - An unusually harsh harmattan -- a seasonal cold, dry wind that carries clouds of dust from the Sahara -- was the first sign of trouble for West African cocoa farmers. This was followed by a drought, described as the worst in living memory by farmers in parts of top grower Ivory Coast, cutting the supply of their main crop beans short well before the end of the season.

About 70 percent of the world's cocoa, chocolate's key ingredient, is grown in West Africa, much of which is deeply impoverished. Cocoa prices have risen sharply, hitting four-year highs, because of the expected shortage due to poor rains and below-average production. But even if prices are rising, most farmers in Ivory Coast are unable to cash in on the bull market. Many don't have any cocoa to sell. "Poverty will increase because farmers will have gone nearly six months without selling cocoa beans. They'll only start getting cocoa in July, if they are lucky," said a manager at the Kavokiva cooperative in Daloa, Ivory Coast. "The farmers have not profited from the rise in prices because they have had no cocoa for three months," said farmer Magloire Gnankan in the outskirts of the western town of Daloa.

Stiff competition between buyers for scarce beans as the October-March main crop limped to a close pushed farm gate prices in some areas over 500 CFA francs ($1.03) per kilogram -- well above the prices they fetch in an average season. "When we had cocoa, the best price was 300 CFA francs per kilogram. When the cocoa was gone, the prices rose as high as 500," said Gnankan.

Unfortunately, there are no beans left in the bush for the growers to share in this price rise, said the commercial representative for a large international exporter in Abidjan. "The main crop is finished, the representative said, and work is beginning on a new crop. "We only hope the prices stay like this a little while longer to allow the growers to make a bit of money," the representative said.




Abundant rains have since returned to the region, promising a rebound in the April-September mid-crop, farmers said, and wholesale prices have already started to pull back from their peaks. Consumers may never prices for candy bars move higher, though in late March, Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., hiked wholesale prices of well-known chocolate bars like Snickers by about five percent due to rising costs. Shortly after, Hershey Co. increased its prices by about four percent to five percent, citing the need to help offset costs.

Since retailers typically order chocolate in advance, they should not feel the increased wholesale rates in the near future, and therefore were not expected to hike prices on their store shelves until September or later, said Daniel Butler, vice-president of merchandising and retail operations for the National Retail Federation, a Washington, DC-based organization that represents retailers.

A spokeswoman for privately-held Publix Super Markets Inc., which has about 900 stores in five states, has not raised its chocolate prices and she could not say when, or if, they will as they secure pricing in advance. "These past three weeks we've seen cocoa prices at the levels they reached during the worst part of the war in Ivory Coast in 2002 and 2003 when fighting was raging between rebel and government soldiers," said the director of an international cocoa exporting company based in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, last week.

Cocoa is expected to continue to be scarce due to the expectation of a smaller West African crop and growing demand fueled in part by increasing popularity for higher quality chocolates.

Consumers have also been upping their purchases because recent studies have attached health benefits to eating chocolate, with researchers stating in one that dark chocolate improves the function of blood vessels while another report showed that flavanols, an ingredient found in cocoa, may boost brain function and delay decline as people age.

CONSUMERS EXPECTED TO PAY UP"People are willing to pay the price as they never have been before. They really want the best that they can afford, obviously that's a subjective decision of what you love the most," said Joan Steuer, of Los Angeles-based Chocolate Marketing LLC, which publishes an annual U.S. Top Ten Chocolate Trends report.

"No longer is chocolate just a sweet. Chocolate is consumed as a food."

The firm prices come at a time of heightened consumer awareness of cocoa growers' working and living conditions. Large chocolate companies including Hershey Co., Lindt & Sprungli and Mars Inc. belong to the World Cocoa Foundation, which partly funds public-private partnerships in West African programs that target small-scale farmers and aims to improve sustainability. "We're looking at how to diversify cocoa farms so farmers aren't so reliant on one cash crop," World Cocoa Foundation President Bill Guyton said.

Supply Worries Slam Cocoa By Simon ConstableTheStreet.com Staff Reporter4/19/2007 12:56 PM EDTCocoa prices were tumbling more than 5% Thursday amid speculation by investors that supplies might be greater than previously expected. Prices of futures contracts for the beans were off $103 at $1,853 a ton in recent action on the New York Board of Trade. "The trigger for the selloff was that the West African midcrop might be revised higher," says Brandon DiTullio, an options trader at Next Source Trading in Orange County, Calif.

The midcrop from Ivory Coast and Ghana is harvested and sold starting in May and continuing through August. It accounts for about 60% of world supply. Another factor is likely high net short positions by producers who are hedging their cocoa output, which historically augers a pullback in prices, he says. Producers sometimes manage their price risk by selling futures contracts to cover a portion of their expected output. "When commercials are heavy shorts relative to what they normally are, it's just a matter of time before the markets follows," DiTullio says.

Rohit Savant, an analyst at specialty consulting firm CPM Group in New York, cautions that a free fall for prices probably won't occur in the near term because the market is still relatively robust and a significant global cocoa deficit is forecast for the year.




Cocoa is used together with sugar and other ingredients to manufacture chocolate.

Chocolate makers Cadbury Schweppes (CSG - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Hershey (HSY - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr - Rating) were both dipping recently, off 1.7% and 1.1%, respectively.

Worse-than-expected first-quarter results for Hershey were weighing on the shares. Still, the company is remaining optimistic for new dark chocolate and luxury products to "make meaningful contributions in 2007." Market News: TradeSignals Cocoa Futures Morning Commentary TradeSignals Cocoa Futures Morning Commentary -- 2007-04-20 07:01:51 Cocoa: Nearby Cocoa futures finished the previous session weaker extending the prior days weaker tone. Trend indicators have turned from a bullish to a bearish bias. However the overall strength of the trend, as indicated by the ADX, is weak and should be watched as a result. Momentum readings are also in bearish territory.

TREND INDICATORS: Simple Moving Average (10-Day): The closing price crossed below this moving average. Furthermore the markets trend has changed direction since the previous session. The slope of the moving average is in a downward slope from the previous session indicating weakness. As a result the 10-Day simple moving average has a strong bearish bias.

Simple Moving Average (25-Day): The closing price crossed below this moving average. However, despite prices trading below the moving average line, the moving average is in an upward slope from the previous session. If prices trade above the moving average then the trend will be clearly established as up. However, this weakness in the price will need to be watched. As a result the 25-Day simple moving average has a weak bullish bias.

Simple Moving Average (50-Day): The closing price crossed below this moving average. However, despite prices trading below the moving average line, the moving average is in an upward slope from the previous session. If prices trade above the moving average then the trend will be clearly established as up. However, this weakness in the price will need to be watched. As a result the 50-Day simple moving average has a weak bullish bias.

ADX: The Average Directional Change (ADX) indicates the strength of a markets underlying trend. A rising ADX is interpreted as building trend strength, while a falling ADX indicates weakness in the underlying trend and the potential of a market reversal. On this market, the 14-Day ADX is falling, while the long term trend, based on a 50-Day moving average, is up. However, as the ADX has turned lower, it indicates weakness in the current trend. As a result, the market may turn choppy here and has the potential to move lower.

MOMENTUM INDICATORS:

MACD: The MACD is in bearish territory. RSI: The 14-Day RSI is in neutral territory. (RSI is at 44.67). This indicator issues bullish signals when the RSI line dips below the oversold zone (currently set at 20.00); a bearish signal is generated when the RSI rises into the overbought zone (currently set at 80.00). Nevertheless with the RSI at 44.67 the market is somewhat oversold. However, this by itself isn't a strong enough indication to signal a trade. Look for additional evidence of strength from this indicator before getting too bullish here.

VOLATILITY INDICATORS: Bollinger Bands (20-Day Average +/-1 Standard Deviation): As prices are closer to the bottom band than the top band, the Bollinger Bands are indicating oversold prices. Despite this oversold condition the market may become more oversold before turning higher. As a result, the market will look for additional strength in prices before turning bullish on this indicator.




Guittard protests proposal to allow vegetable oil in chocolateCarol Ness, San Francisco Chronicle Staff WriterWednesday, April 18, 2007Good chocolate's unctuous richness comes straight from the cocoa bean -- and that means cocoa and cocoa butter. Now the nation's food manufacturers are asking for federal permission to make chocolate with vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter -- and still call it chocolate.

Gary Guittard, president and CEO of the Burlingame chocolate company that bears his family name, objects. "If they want to do this, or create another category of chocolate, they should do that -- just don't call it chocolate," he said. Chocolate bars are made from ground cocoa beans, which yield chocolate liquor -- a mix of cocoa and cocoa butter. Usually, extra cocoa butter is added, both to temper the flavor and add richness. Sugar and vanilla are allowed; milk solids are added to milk chocolate. (White chocolate must contain cocoa butter but not cocoa.)

A typical chocolate bar, Guittard says, is about one-fourth extra cocoa butter. Under the Grocery Manufacturers of America petition to the FDA, vegetable fat could replace the cocoa butter for about one-third of the cost, he says.

GMA spokesman Brian Kennedy said the proposed new law wouldn't force any chocolate makers to change their recipes. "They can still manufacture chocolate the way they want," Kennedy said. The chocolate provision is one detail in a much broader GMA petition to change food manufacturing standards. The FDA has promised to respond to the GMA by April 25. Guittard wants to stir up opposition before then, and has added a link for consumer comments to the FDA on its Web site, dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com.

LATEST FUTURES NEWS DJ Nybot Cocoa Review: Higher on Short Covering, Spec BuyingFriday, April 20, 2007 5:06:54 PM http://www.osterdowjones.com/ Cocoa futures on the New York Board of Trade closed with solid gains Friday, to finish the week on an up note following strong selling pressure the previous two trading sessions. July cocoa closed up $46 a metric ton, at $1,909. Short covering and some fresh speculative bargain-hunting buying was featured on Friday's rally, said an analyst. The cocoa market opened under selling pressure as prices dipped to a fresh four-week low of $1,824, basis July futures, amid sell stops being triggered just below Thursday's low. However, some commercial buying kicked in at lower price levels and that did lift the market, said a floor broker. The market paid little attention to the release of a report on the U.S. cocoa bean grindings in the first quarter. Grindings were down 6.79% from the same period last year, said the Chocolate Manufacturers Association Friday morning. Cocoa futures prices on Wednesday and Thursday dropped sharply from Wednesday's contract high of $2,014. Heavy profit-taking pressure and speculator long liquidation was seen. Technically, this week's price action has negated an 11-week-old uptrend on the daily bar chart, as near-term chart damage was inflicted. However, Friday's high-range close did encourage the bulls heading into the new trading week next week. The bulls still have the overall near-term technical advantage. The next upside price objective for the bulls is closing prices above solid chart resistance at Thursday's high of $1,950. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at Friday's lowof $1,824. First resistance is seen at Friday's high of $1,920 and then at $1,930. First support is seen at $1,880 and then at $1,854.




Agricultural innovationshttp://www.thenational.com.pg/042007/w7.htmBy MAISAN PAHUN The National Agricultural Research Institute's (NARI) largest and oldest research station - Lowlands Agricultural Experiment Station (LAES) - at Keravat in East New Britain will mark 79 years of scientific and agricultural research this year at its annual field day on Tuesday, April 24. The main theme will be "food crops for life through agricultural innovations". The day will see the release of new agricultural technologies, the launching of four development projects and many displays of agricultural information targeting stakeholders in the Niugini Islands region.

The major innovation to be launched will be two chemicals for taro beetle control. Taro is one of the most important staple food crops in all countries of the Pacific region and is of cultural significance to many of them. Taro beetle is the most serious constraint to taro production and is ranked as the second most important pest on all crops, after Fruit Flies, in the region. Losses due to taro beetle in PNG and Fiji are estimated to be around AUD 40 million per year. The technological innovation developed by NARI at LAES Keravat and the South Pacific Commission in Fiji would enable the production of good quality taro on both small and large scale throughout the Pacific for enhanced food security and income generation. The new technological innovation has addressed the main production constraint, thus creating the potential for a new taro export industry for PNG.

Four development projects will be launched on the day. The most important of these is the European Union funded galip nut and nutmeg spice development project. These two alternative cash crops have been identified at NARI Keravat, from many years of research, for the development of a major and new exportable cash crop industry for PNG. The project is funded to supply elite planting materials to farmers in East New Britain and to research the post harvest requirements for the two crops. Elite galip nut seedlings have been selected and will be planted in existing cocoa blocks to provide both a shade for the cocoa and income. The project is part of a NARI contingency plan to help reduce any negative economic effects on farmers and the ENB province in the event that the Cocoa Pod Borer pest cannot be eradicated.

Three other development projects that will be launched on the day are funded by AusAID. Many important crop pests and diseases, such as the Cocoa Pod Borer and VSD disease on cocoa, are present in some places in PNG but not in others. There is a danger that these pests can be accidentally introduced to new places through crop planting materials. An internal quarantine facility has therefore been established by NARI at LAES which caters for the production and safe distribution of pest and disease free planting materials to stakeholders and interest farmers in the islands region. The second project is a poultry breeding and hatchery unit which caters for production and distribution of Australorp chicken and other selected breeds to the Niugini Islands region - 10,000 Australorp birds were distributed from the hatchery last year. The last project launching marks the opening of the NARI mid-altitude vegetable centre at Anismetki in the Baining mountains of ENBP. Here, introduced vegetables such as potato, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are being researched and promoted for smallholders. ENBP, New Ireland and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville now have the opportunity to produce and market their own temperate climate vegetables from their mid-altitude communities.

The occasion will see representatives of donors and VIPs from other organizations that are engaged, in one way or other, with agricultural projects at LAES. The East New Britain Governor Honorable Leo Dion MP and Gazelle Member and Minister for Public Service, Honorable Sinai Brown, MP, OBE will be the Guests of Honor for the event. Other institutions and business houses will exhibit displays and hundreds of farmers are expected to attend the event.

LAES Keravat, established in1928, is well known throughout the pacific for its significant contributions to agriculture over the years.

This year continues in that tradition. The station's current research strengths include: production and distribution of elite food and cash crop varieties, indigenous and exotic fruit and nuts, and emerging cash crops such as spices; production and distribution of agricultural information; training of stakeholders; entomology; plant pathology; livestock; tissue culture; internal quarantine facilities; farm management; and scientific expertise in cocoa and coconuts.




Chocolate: Good, And Good For YouNEW YORK, April 21, 2007CBS Interactive Inc. Researchers Keep Finding Evidence That A Little Chocolate Every Day Can Provide Big Health Benefits--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researchers say a little bit of chocolate really can make you feel better. (CBS)

Quote"The best thing to do is savor a small piece of really good chocolate." Frances Largeman-Roth, Health magazine senior food and nutrition editor (CBS) Who hasn't been heartened — literally — with the news from scientists that chocolate is more than just a treat?

New studies show that chocolate and its key ingredient, cocoa, have some major health benefits. In its purest form, chocolate can lower blood pressure, help muscles recover from exercise, improve skin, provide antioxidants and even give us a thrill that rivals a passionate kiss.

However, Health magazine senior food and nutrition editor Frances Largeman-Roth warns that this isn't license to binge. On "The Saturday Early Show," Largeman-Roth points out that the average bar of dark chocolate — the kind that has the most health benefits — has around 400 calories … "and if the bar has any nuts or caramel in it, it'll cost you more" calorie-wise, she adds. Her advice: "The best thing to do is savor a small piece of really good chocolate."

If you're able to restrict yourself to a small daily dose, you'll experience some heart-healthy benefits. "Cocoa improves blood flow, makes blood platelets less sticky — which helps prevent clotting — and also has a positive effect on bad cholesterol. This is due to the antioxidant effect of cocoa, which helps reduce inflammation, which we now understand to be the root of many diseases," she tells CBS News.

Another recent eye-opening study, this one by German researchers, showed that women who drank a half-cup of enriched cocoa every day for three months developed skin that was smoother and had more moisture. Furthermore, the women's skin was less scaly and red after it was exposed to ultraviolet light. "It is surprising, especially after all those stories about chocolate making you break out," says Largeman-Roth. "It turns out that the flavonoids in chocolate help protect the skin and increase blood flow, which makes it look more refreshed and smooth."

Most recently, British researchers reporting finding that people get more of a buzz from eating chocolate than from a passionate kiss. "The researchers put electrodes on young couples in their 20s and tested their heart rate and brain activity while eating dark chocolate and then while kissing their sweeties," says Largeman-Roth.

"Surprisingly, heart rate and brain activity both increased far more with the chocolate than with the kissing. And actually, all areas of the brain were stimulated when the chocolate melted on their tongues. Kissing did increase the heart rate, but not for as long."

One word of caution: white chocolate, though delicious, doesn't pack any kind of healthy punch because it doesn't have any cocoa solids, the ingredient that makes dark chocolate so magical. And some studies were based on having participants eating three or more ounces a day, a heavy caloric load. "But the good news," says Largeman-Roth, "is that researchers say you don't need to eat that much to have an effect — even a bit of chocolate a day can do some good."

Lutheran World Relief Sponsors World Fair Trade DayLutheran World Relief.Baltimore, April 16, 2007 — On May 12, Fair Trade producers and consumers from all over the world will join together to celebrate World Fair Trade Day, an international celebration of the worldwide effort to create a global economy based on sustainability, dignity and justice. In the

U.S., Lutheran World Relief (LWR) proudly sponsors World Fair Trade Day, facilitated by the Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN).




World Fair Trade Day’s 2007 theme, “Kids Need Fair Trade,” emphasizes the need for trade to work for those most disadvantaged by conventional trade. With growing minds and bodies, children suffer disproportionately from poverty and hunger. Malnutrition affects both physical and mental development and makes children especially vulnerable to disease. Children of poor families often must stay home to help earn money instead of going to school. To break the cycle of poverty, children need to develop in a world where their physical and emotional needs are met.

Fair Trade creates economic opportunity and development which enables producers to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Families can stay together and support their children by providing them adequate nutrition or paying for school fees instead of keeping kids home to help earn money for the family. Beyond individual families, whole communities are empowered to make choices that benefit their children: building schools, paying teachers, providing scholarships for higher education, setting up medical clinics, providing clean water or improving nutrition.

For ideas about how to support communities all over the world in your community or parish this World Fair Trade Day, visit lwr.org/fairtrade.

Beat the Heat This Summer: Buy Fair Trade Divine Chocolate Now

Baltimore, April 16, 2007 — When the temperature exceeds 80 degrees, summer shipping rates apply to chocolate shipped through the Lutheran World Relief Chocolate Project. These summer shipping rates will continue until the weather cools in September. Buy Divine Chocolate through the LWR Chocolate Project and do justice now, so cocoa farmers get a fair price for their work and you get a better deal for your chocolate.

“Now is a great time to order chocolate for summer events,” said Kattie Somerfeld, Fair Trade Projects Coordinator at LWR. “Chocolate is a welcome addition to parish gatherings and also serves as a great fundraiser for youth.”

Divine Chocolate is made with cocoa from Kuapa Kokoo, a democratically organized cocoa cooperative in Ghana. Members of Kuapa Kokoo receive a fair price for their cocoa and a social premium through Fair Trade. They use their premium for mobile medical units, schools, scholarships, and wells: services that promote sweet justice for the entire community. And since Divine Chocolate is the world’s first farmer-owned Fair Trade chocolate company, members of Kuapa Kokoo have meaningful input into company business decisions.

In 2006, Lutheran World Relief also became a co-owner of Divine Chocolate. By joining in partnership with the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, LWR promotes justice by equipping and empowering the cooperative to take a more active role in the cocoa industry and build the market for their cocoa products in the United States.

Beat the heat and promote sweet justice for cocoa farmers by placing your summer chocolate orders early! While supplies last, receive a free box of hazelnut milk chocolate bars with orders of $75 or more. To find out if summer shipping rates apply to your area, call 1-888-294-9660.

WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.

Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.




TIT BITS(Source: Business Recorder – www.brecord.com)

US MIDDAY: cocoa soarsNEW YORK (April 21, 2007): US cocoa futures surged to close higher in a late-day rally Friday, after trade buying buoyed prices off earlier lows dating back nearly five weeks, traders said. "When we got down to that $1,825 level (basis July), trade buying was (high) in volume there and that's what gave the market a floor there," one trader said. New York cocoa sinksNEW YORK (April 21, 2007): The US cocoa futures plummeted to settle lower Thursday, off a fresh one-month low on follow-through speculative and fund selling that had yanked prices off a fresh near-four-year high early on Wednesday, traders said. New York cocoa sinksNEW YORK (April 20, 2007): US cocoa futures lower on Wednesday, after profit-taking reversed gains made in trade when prices rose to a fresh high dating back to May 2003 on the back of the strong pound, traders said. New York cocoa soars to close 2.8 percent upNEW YORK (April 19, 2007): US cocoa futures closed up 2.8 percent on Tuesday after soaring to a near four-year peak as a stronger pound spurred arbitrage buying, traders said. "The strength in the market today was seen because of that British pound, it just pushed to a new high today," one dealer said after sterling vaulted $2 Tuesday for the first time in nearly 15 years. New York cocoa futures climbNEW YORK (April 18, 2007): US cocoa futures closed higher on Monday on arbitrage buying on the back of stronger sterling and May-July position rolling ahead of first notice day for the front month on Tuesday, traders said. Nigerian cocoa arrivals fall in MarchLAGOS (April 17, 2007): cocoa arrivals in Nigeria's main port city of Lagos fell by 59 percent to 3,500 tonnes on average in March from 8,500 tonnes in the same month last year, according to estimates by traders on Monday. The supply shortfall is in line with the trend since the 2006/07 season started in October in Nigeria, the world's fourth biggest cocoa producer. Ivory Coast rains helpful for cocoa mid-cropABIDJAN (April 17, 2007): Abundant rains in Ivory Coast's cocoa regions last week are helping the development of the April-September mid-crop after recent dry weather, farmers said on Monday.




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COPAL COCOA Info. 227.doc · Web view"The main crop is finished, the representative said, and work is beginning on a new crop. "We only hope the prices stay like this a little while