The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) reports that in April, coffee production in Colombia was down 28 per cent year-on-year.
The world’s largest producer of mild washed Arabica produced 744,000 60-kilogram bags in April 2020, compared to more than one million bags in April 2019. Among other contributors to the decline, travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have made it difficult for large-scale producers to recruit seasonal workers.
Over the the past 12 months, production exceeded 14 million bags, 3 per cent up from the almost 13.7 million bags produced in the year prior.
Year-to-date production topped 3.6 million bags, 17 per cent less than the more than 4.3 million bags produced in the first four months of 2019.
So far this coffee year, October 2019 to April 2020, coffee production was close to 8.2 million bags, 2 per cent up from just over 8 million bags produced a year earlier.
Due to restrictions and limitations caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Colombia’s coffee exports an April fell 32 per cent to 592,000 60-kilogram bags from the 872,000 exported in April 2019.
Year-to-date coffee exports fell 17 per cent to almost 3.7 million bags, compared to the more than 4.4 million bags exported in the first four months of 2019.
In the last 12 months, coffee exports fell slightly – 1 per cent – to 12.9 million bags, compared to almost 13.1 million bags exported one year earlier.
So far, this coffee year’s exports fell 7 per cent to 7.4 million bags compared to nearly 8 million bags a year earlier.
FNC CEO Roberto Vélez Vallejo tells Global Coffee Report the industry needs to work together to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain. Read more HERE.
“We’re facing something we’ve never seen before. It is very hard to say which way the market will move,” Vélez says. “After all this is over, the world needs to start thinking if this just-in-time system is really okay. There are many things we need to do to give the industry a sustainable future.”
For more information, visit www.federaciondecafeteros.org
