New York cocoa futures surged, affected by concerns over the outlook for West African crops.

Cocoa futures prices in Chicago, United States have hit their biggest increase since December, as concerns about the next season's cocoa production in West Africa intensified. Dry weather conditions in some of the world's major cocoa-producing regions have dimmed the outlook for the next season's harvest, with the mid-term harvest from April to September already significantly below expectations. "The supply crisis has not yet eased," said Sholom Sanik, an analyst at Friedberg Mercantile Group Ltd. As of 21:42 Beijing time, ICE cocoa futures briefly rose by 10.6% to $8,823 per ton, before falling to $8,788 per ton; cocoa in London rose by 9%; raw sugar rose by 1%; New York Arabica coffee rose by 2.4%.