The price of Ganong chocolates will soon be going up. (CBC)Many New Brunswick businesses — both large and small — say the soaring price of a sweet commodity is causing a bitter hit to their bottom line.

And it's starting to affect their customers.

Sugar prices around the world are at the highest they've been in almost three decades.

Poor growing conditions in Brazil and India, two of the world's largest producers of sugar cane, have led to a worldwide shortage.

In the past year alone, the price of sugar has tripled, hitting a 30-year high of 29 cents a pound this month.

'There's no doubt we're having a sugar crisis that we're dealing with.'—Doug Ettinger, Ganong Brothers

"There's no doubt we're having a sugar crisis that we're dealing with," said Doug Ettinger, president and CEO of Ganong Brothers in St. Stephen.

The chocolate and candy company is one of the Maritimes' largest sugar consumers.

"It's a real challenge," said Ettinger. "We have to watch our costs very, very closely and unfortunately have also had to pass our higher costs on to our customers. We've really had no choice in that."

Customers will see candy prices go up in stores over the next few months, he said.

Small businesses struggling

Leslie Idler says she's can't absorb any more rising costs. (CBC)Leslie Idler, of Glen's Bake Shop in Quispamsis, has been trying to avoid a price hike on her treats.

She has already absorbed other rising costs, such as milk and flour, power bills and labour, she said.

But some of her recipes are up to 30 per cent sugar and as the price continues to soar, she'll have to pass that cost along to her customers.

"I'm going to have to start doing it gradually, almost immediately," Idler said.

"I have to cover my costs and then I have to have my profit so that I can live. But still, it's not nice to see that happening to [customers]."

Idler also worries the price spike could force some small companies out of business.

"I don't see that happening to us, but I've seen where, when the prices went up on various commodities, businesses closed up."