Chocolate Easter bunnies may be missing from most German holiday baskets this year amid limited supplies of commodities, including the treat's main ingredients sugar and cocoa, and global logistics problems, confectioners across the country warned Thursday.
"The market for important raw materials has been swept empty, longtime logistics chains no longer function," said Carsten Bernoth, chief executive of the German confectionery producers association (BDSI) in a statement.
"This could also have an impact on the upcoming Easter business such as the production of chocolate rabbits because important raw materials, packing materials or transport capacity are lacking."
Chocolate makers are suffering from high world commodity prices, including wheat, sugar, milk powder, sunflower oil and soy oil, he said.
Poor harvests in some global regions coupled with heavy demand for commodities from industry in Asia had pushed prices higher. The recent surge in energy costs with a doubling of electricity prices was also hitting the German industry, he said.
Rising costs for global container shipping were also an increasing burden.
But Germany's confectionery industry was able to increase 2021 production, including salty snacks, by 1.3% to an estimated 3.9 million tons despite the impact of pandemic lockdowns of shops and restaurants, which squeezed sales.
Of this, the 2021 output of chocolate products rose by 2.7% to around 1.2 million tons, with chocolate product production by value up 5.4% to about 5.9 billion euros ($6.57 billion).
