A cocoa buyer examines bean in Ivory Coast, which borders Ebola-hit Liberia . Chocolate prices could soar by up to 20 per cent as a result of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, experts have warned. The cost of cocoa beans is already up 18.5 per cent year on year and there are fears the health crisis could spark further increases over the coming weeks. Manufacturers of chocolate will decide how much of the price hike they pass on to the consumer, but it is inevitable that prices of products on shop shelves in Britain will rise. The problem is the fear factor, according to analysts as the crop is good, supply is high and the countries which produce most of the world's beans have not been hit by Ebola. But these nations - Ghana and Ivory Coast mainly - do have borders with countries like Liberia where most of the 4,000 deaths to date have been recorded, said analysts Mintec. This affects transportation links in the area, migrant workers from disease affected countries but, mainly, the fear that Ebola could spread to cocoa producting nations. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed Ivory Coast and Ghana. Already the international market price of cocoa beans has risen 18.5 per cent in the last 12 months to £1,891 a tonne, Mintec told trade journal The Grocer. Some of that is a result of growing demand from countries like China whose consumers are fast developing Western-style tastes for chocolate that they never used to have. But signs that traders fear further increases have been shown with falling share prices for companies like Nestle in recent weeks. Cocoa butter, a key ingredient for some chocolate products, is also up year on year but only by 7 per cent so far. This all comes when good weather has produced a bumper crop, up 10 per cent this year on last to 4.3 million tonnes. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed in Ivory Coast and Ghana - prices of the crop have soared amid fears that Ebola could spread to the countries . Manufacturers of chocolate will decide how much of the price hike they pass on to the consumer, but it is inevitable that prices of products on shop shelves in Britain will rise . Mintec analyst Yuliya Nam-Wright said: 'Prices have been pushed up in recent weeks despite better than expected supply due to good demand and concerns the (Ebola) outbreak may spread. 'With the main harvest in progress, concerns have risen that the spread of Ebola will disrupt ban shipments as West African regions have already seen some transportation disruption.' West African countries supply around three quarters of the world's cocoa for chocolate production and for them it is also their major export. It means the crisis could affect hundreds of thousands of livelihoods in the region. Cases of Ebola have been emerging in developed countries around the world in recent weeks. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed in Ivory Coast and Ghana . Today, there were mixed reports that two possible Ebola patients have been quarantined at New York City's Bellevue Hospital after falling ill following their return from an Africa trip. The pair, who are believed to be adults, both have symptoms consistent with the virus, and were transported to the hospital from a New York City address, according to the New York Daily News. A US nurse has also contracted Ebola while treating 'patient zero' Thomas Eric Duncan – the man who brought the deadly virus to America. Nina Pham, 26, from Fort Worth, Texas, was one of the team of medical staff who treated Mr Duncan at the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital before he died from the dreaded virus last week. The nurse, who had been monitoring her condition following her contact with the Ebola patient, admitted herself to hospital on Friday after her temperature spiked – one of the first symptoms of the deadly virus. Her condition was described as 'clincally stable' on Monday. The price of chocolate has already risen dramatically in the last year and the Ebola crisis is set to cause another surge upwards (Graph shows market price of cocoa, per metric tonne, in the last ten years .
Ghana and Ivory Coast farm 60 per cent of the world's cocoa beans .
Ivory Coast borders Liberia - where Ebola has already killed thousands .
Despite healthy crop, fear that the disease will spread is driving up prices .
Chocolate on UK shelves may see 20 per cent price surge in coming months .
A cocoa buyer examines bean in Ivory Coast, which borders Ebola-hit Liberia . Chocolate prices could soar by up to 20 per cent as a result of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, experts have warned. The cost of cocoa beans is already up 18.5 per cent year on year and there are fears the health crisis could spark further increases over the coming weeks. Manufacturers of chocolate will decide how much of the price hike they pass on to the consumer, but it is inevitable that prices of products on shop shelves in Britain will rise. The problem is the fear factor, according to analysts as the crop is good, supply is high and the countries which produce most of the world's beans have not been hit by Ebola. But these nations - Ghana and Ivory Coast mainly - do have borders with countries like Liberia where most of the 4,000 deaths to date have been recorded, said analysts Mintec. This affects transportation links in the area, migrant workers from disease affected countries but, mainly, the fear that Ebola could spread to cocoa producting nations. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed Ivory Coast and Ghana. Already the international market price of cocoa beans has risen 18.5 per cent in the last 12 months to £1,891 a tonne, Mintec told trade journal The Grocer. Some of that is a result of growing demand from countries like China whose consumers are fast developing Western-style tastes for chocolate that they never used to have. But signs that traders fear further increases have been shown with falling share prices for companies like Nestle in recent weeks. Cocoa butter, a key ingredient for some chocolate products, is also up year on year but only by 7 per cent so far. This all comes when good weather has produced a bumper crop, up 10 per cent this year on last to 4.3 million tonnes. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed in Ivory Coast and Ghana - prices of the crop have soared amid fears that Ebola could spread to the countries . Manufacturers of chocolate will decide how much of the price hike they pass on to the consumer, but it is inevitable that prices of products on shop shelves in Britain will rise . Mintec analyst Yuliya Nam-Wright said: 'Prices have been pushed up in recent weeks despite better than expected supply due to good demand and concerns the (Ebola) outbreak may spread. 'With the main harvest in progress, concerns have risen that the spread of Ebola will disrupt ban shipments as West African regions have already seen some transportation disruption.' West African countries supply around three quarters of the world's cocoa for chocolate production and for them it is also their major export. It means the crisis could affect hundreds of thousands of livelihoods in the region. Cases of Ebola have been emerging in developed countries around the world in recent weeks. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa is farmed in Ivory Coast and Ghana . Today, there were mixed reports that two possible Ebola patients have been quarantined at New York City's Bellevue Hospital after falling ill following their return from an Africa trip. The pair, who are believed to be adults, both have symptoms consistent with the virus, and were transported to the hospital from a New York City address, according to the New York Daily News. A US nurse has also contracted Ebola while treating 'patient zero' Thomas Eric Duncan – the man who brought the deadly virus to America. Nina Pham, 26, from Fort Worth, Texas, was one of the team of medical staff who treated Mr Duncan at the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital before he died from the dreaded virus last week. The nurse, who had been monitoring her condition following her contact with the Ebola patient, admitted herself to hospital on Friday after her temperature spiked – one of the first symptoms of the deadly virus. Her condition was described as 'clincally stable' on Monday. The price of chocolate has already risen dramatically in the last year and the Ebola crisis is set to cause another surge upwards (Graph shows market price of cocoa, per metric tonne, in the last ten years .
borders Ebola-hit Liberia . Chocolate prices warned. The cost of cocoa beans is already up prices of products on shop shelves in Britain these nations - Ghana and Ivory Coast mainly - do nations. Around 60 per cent of the world's cocoa international market price of cocoa beans has the (Ebola) outbreak may spread. 'With the main