The world’s largest chocolate producer, Barry Callebaut, predicts that the price of chocolate will continue to rise in the coming years.

The head of the Zurich-based company, Jürgen Steinemann, says the cocoa supply has not been able to keep up with global demand.

“If we don’t have any cocoa in the long-term, than we will not be able to produce chocolate,” he told the Sonntag newspaper. Steinemann said this would lead to higher prices for the next three to 15 years.

Callebaut wants to work with cocoa growers to increase the size of the harvest without expanding existing plantations. “In the Ivory Coast, our most important producer, between 400 and 500 kg of cocoa beans are harvested per hectare,” Steinemann said.

A different planting method, including improved training for farmers, different seeds and the use of fertiliser would enable the growers to double the amount, the chocolate chief added.

In November, Barry Callebaut reported that annual net profit was up to SFr258.9 million ($284.9 million), a nine per cent increase on the previous year.

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