FROM US$4,200 per tonne at the start of 2024, cocoa prices saw a dizzying spiral to an all-time high of US$10,080 this month.

       For Guan Chong Bhd, the world’s fourth-largest cocoa grinder, the price upswing of over 130% in less than three months – even outpacing the erratic bitcoin – has added more pressure to its already stretched financials.