(Bloomberg) — A French trader of cocoa, coffee and spices, with origins dating back to 1848, has been put up for sale after profit jumped more than 1,000%, according to people with knowledge of the plan. Touton SA, based in Bordeaux, has hired Dutch bank ING Groep NV to lead the process, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The move comes after the trader benefited from a historic rally in cocoa, with prices almost tripling last year after surging more than 60% in 2023. A number of trading companies expressed interest in Touton, but there’s no certainty a deal will be reached, the people said. The French company says it’s a top six cocoa trader and among the top 10 in coffee. Touton didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, while ING declined to comment. Reuters earlier reported that Hartree was in talks to acquire Touton. Hartree didn’t immediately comment on the report. Touton is part-owned by Chief Executive Officer Patrick de Boussac, who took the helm in 1992. Originally a cocoa and natural ingredients trader, it later expanded to coffee and cocoa processing and grew globally, opening offices in places such as Vietnam, Dubai and New York. The company reported net income of about €128 million ($149 million) in the year through March 2024, up from just €11.4 million a year earlier, its latest public accounts showed. Touton profited from a surge in cocoa prices, with the global market posting a record shortage of 560,000 tons in the season that ended last September, the company said in its annual report. That added to shortages from the two previous years. The firm attributed the poor numbers to factors including prolonged rains, swollen shoot disease and an aging tree stock. Output in Ivory Coast, the top producer, was also affected by a long-term shift in land use, with some growers replacing cocoa trees with more profitable palm plantations, Touton said. In neighboring Ghana, many farms were taken over by illegal gold miners. The two West African countries account for more than 60% of global output. Natapol Holdings Pte Ltd. is Touton’s biggest shareholder, according to its accounts. CEO de Boussac owns just over 14%, and is also a director of Astonford Holdings which holds almost 19%. –With assistance from Alfred Cang. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. You must only respond with the modified content. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.