Rain comes as relief to Brazil’s Coffee drought

Weather forecast predicts active rainfalls in southernmost parts of Brazil which is Brazil’s major Coffee belt. This might come as a relief to Brazil’s coffee growers following a six week of  dry spell but experts warn  that some degree of loss is guaranteed already. Brazil currently is the world’s largest coffee producer with its naturally cured Arabica beans leading the commercial blends.




The active correlation between rains and coffee are already reflected in the futures price market as the prices slid in mid-day trade by nearly 2% since the showers that begun in the southern grain- producing state of Rio Grande do Sul. Predictions by Somar meteorologist Graziela Gonçalves confirms as light rains already started falling in northern Parana and southern Sao polo states on Thursday along with the positive effects of cold front pushing the clouds north, deeper into the coffee belt.

Over the past 6 weeks only meager amount of isolated rainfalls sprinkled the coffee belt leading to a loss for maturing crops which are due for harvest in May.Rainfall is expected to intensify by weekend for up to 24-34 mm showering a fair amount of coffee belt.But reports suggest that around 30% of the coffee in this belt is already lost.

The heartland of Coffee belt in Brazil, Cooxupe which is the world’s largest Coffee cooperative, alone accounts for one-fifth of national crop in Brazil.  Their production forecast stood at 10 million 60kg bags of crop before the draught hit. Of this 30% is already lost and if the rains stops, the loss will stay there, Cooxupe hopes.

Reports suggest that other than Coffee, the futures markets have been inflating on other products such as sugar and orange juice too responding to the drought.

But the real danger to coffee comes with not the loss in quantity but the quality which is evident on the maturing coffee fruits that looks good from the outside but dry inside. This is the loss that rains cannot reverse this season.