Brazilian Robusta exports grow more than 500 per cent

Exports of Robusta coffee produced more than 872,000 bags in January to July, a 527 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2017, P&A Marketing reports in its September Coffidential newsletter. “This large increase in exports points to the recovery of the Conilon (Robusta) production that had declined in the previous two years due to a severe drought,” Coffidential says. The Brazilian Coffee Exporters' Association (CeCafé) says overall coffee exports from Brazil reached 17 million bags from January to July, including 14 million bags of Arabica, representing 83.2 per cent of total stock, and two million bags of green-coffee equivalent of soluble coffee, representing 11.6 per cent. According to 24 Horas News, the north-eastern portion of Mato Grosso has been developing its coffee production up to 130,000 bags grown on more than 10,000 hectares. The city of Colniza is responsible for 51 per cent of the coffee produced in the state, located in Brazil’s mid-west. “With favourable soil and climate, the region plans to double its output over the next five years if more investment in infrastructure and logistics – including new roads to access farms – are made by government,” Coffidential says. Financial newspaper Valor Econômico says current weather in coffee growing areas of Southeastern Brazil is already raising concerns for the next crop. “A small Arabica flowering has already happened due to rainfall that hit the region in late July/early August,” Coffidential says. “However, flowering abortion may occur if there is no continuous rainfall. It is not yet possible to predict the impact of the current climate on the new season but lack of homogeneity at the harvesting period will take place as a result of flowerings occurring at different times.”