(Bloomberg) -- Cocoa futures rallied for a fifth day as expected tighter supplies in the coming months push prices to near record levels, bringing financial hurdles to traders and chocolate makers as signs of stress emerge. 

Dry weather over West Africa is also threatening the mid-crop harvest that’s currently underway. The most-active contract in New York rose as much as 2.9% to the highest intraday since April 2. Prices also jumped in London.

Demand for cocoa and chocolate products may remain subdued in Europe and the US, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Diana Gomes and Ignacio Canals Polo wrote in a Thursday report. They expect mass-market items to suffer more than the premium ones, in a threat to margins of companies such as chocolate maker Hershey Co.

A global shortage of cocoa has caused futures to soar above $10,000 per metric ton — more than double the level at the start of the year — and hit a record earlier this month. The rally has prompted US commodity broker R.J. O’Brien & Associates LLC to sue Kemofina AG over accusations the Swiss cocoa supplier failed to provide collateral to cover losses. Kemofina disputes the claim.

Read More: Swiss Cocoa Trader Sued in Margin Call Dispute as Prices Surged

Ghana, one of the world’s top producers, has begun talks with traders to delay deliveries due to a lack of beans. The country has faced difficulties fulfilling its contracts in recent seasons due to lower output, forcing it to roll over deliveries and putting more strain on the global market. Ivory Coast has also asked buyers to wait until the mid-crop to help ease the scarcity.

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