INDONESIA – Main harvest delayed by wet weather in Sumatra

MILAN – Coffee bean shipments through the main coffee port of Panjang in Bandar Lampung fell to 18,112.1 tonnes in May from 29,079.2 tonnes in the same period a year ago, as the main harvest was delayed by wet weather, trade office data showed on Wednesday.
 
Heavy rains meant the main harvest was delayed from March until June, while farmers experienced difficulties drying the coffee cheeries, an industry official said.
 
\”Farmers can pick the cherries but they can\’t dry them so they prefer to wait for sunnier weather,\” said Muchtar Lutfie, head of research and development at the Lampung branch of Indonesia Coffee Exporters Association.