Next Brazilian coffee harvest may reach 43 million bags

This is the estimate by the National Food Supply Company (Conab) and represents an increase of 32.2% in comparison to the previous harvest, when the crop totalled 32.9 million bags. Brazil is the second largest world producer of coffee and grows mainly the Conilon and Arabica varieties.

Brasília – Brazilian coffee production may reach 43.5 million bags in the 2005/2006 crop according to estimates by the National Food Supply Company (Conab), a company connected to the Minster of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. The volume represents an increase of 32.3% in relation to the last coffee harvest, which reached 32.9 million bags.

According to Conab technician Jorge Damião Queiroz, in Brazil there are two varieties of coffee. “We have Arabica and Conilon coffee. Arabica coffee has greater production, around 70% of the total, and Conilon coffee is responsible for the rest.”

According to Jorge Damião, Brazil has always done well both in production and in coffee consumption. “We are in the first place in the world ranking in terms of production. Our production represents 40% of the world production and we are the second largest consumer in the world. We drink around 15.5 million bags of coffee a year, losing only to the USA, whose current consumption is around 20 million bags,” he said.

The Conab technician also added that the main Brazilian competitors in the production of coffee are Vietnam and Colombia. “Vietnam produces basically Conilon coffee and Colombia produces Arabica coffee of excellent quality. Forecasted production in Vietnam for 2005 is estimated at 13 million bags, and the Colombian 15 million,” said Jorge.

The research regarding the next harvest took place between November 7 and 30 and was carried out by 258 technicians from the Conab and connected organizations in states like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, in southeastern Brazil, Paraná, in the south, Bahia, in the northeast and Rondônia, in the midwest. The study was complemented with information from Geosafras, which uses satellite research.

*Translated by Mark Ament