Worldwide sugar prices have fallen in the second quarter (Q2) of 2012 as the market is projected to record a surplus for the next two seasons, according to Rabobank International.
Sugar stocks should rise significantly from their current low levels, with analysts forecasting a global sugar surplus of around 9.5m tonnes in the 2011/12 (October-September) crop year, on the back of increased production in Europe and Asia.
BASF has entered into partnership with a Brazilian research centre to develop genetically modified sugarcane with higher yields and greater tolerance to drought.
London cocoa prices hit a 23-year high at the end of December, but emerging questions about consumer demand could see prices fall in 2009, according to the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO).
