Colombia’s coffee production in April grew 11% from the same month last year, the largest harvest so far in 2012 for the world’s second-largest producer of Arabica beans.
The country’s coffee growers federation said output grew to 580,000 bags weighing 60 kilos each, an 8% growth from January, when heavy rains contributed to a 41% drop from the same month in 2011.
In the last 12 months, the country produced 7.1 million bags – well below historic yearly averages of 11 million. A yield of 7.8 million bags in 2011 was the lowest in 36 years.
Colombia’s coffee production has been slowed by a rainy winter, fungus and a tree renovation program developed to protect plants against adverse weather.
April’s yield suggests output will continue to grow, the federation said in a statement.
“As we saw in April, we expect to see in the remaining months of the year a change in the trend of monthly production,” said Luis Genaro Muñoz Ortega, CEO of the Federation of Coffee Growers. “But there will not be a full recovery until the trees have been renovated and those that are still immature reach their productive age,” he added.
The federation noted that Colombian producers – known to grow the highest- quality-Arabica beans – fetched prices 10.7% higher than those received by other exporters.
