Coffee production in Colombia dropped 19% to 656,000 bags of 60 kilos in October, compared to same month of 2010 when they totaled 807.00 sacks, as a result of heavy rains that occur in the country.
The weather has decimated the Colombian coffee industry, as production and exports of grain have not rebounded, despite expectations that the National Federation of Coffee Growers gave earlier this year. Now, so far this year, production dropped eight percent, adding 000 sacks 6'229, 551,000 less than the same period last year when they totaled 000 sacks 6'780.
"Despite significant advances in coffee renewal programs, excessive rains, reduced sunlight and lower temperatures have affected the normal production of coffee," the Federation said in its report released this November 10. As for exports of grain, the October totaled 592,000 bags, representing a decline of six percent compared to that reported for the same month of 2010 when it was 632,000 bags. Meanwhile, so far this year (January to October) 6'093 000 bags were exported, three percent compared with a year earlier. United States and Japan are the main destinations for exports of coffee from Colombia. The union said that coffee was faced with a winter emergency plan against rust, associated with the adoption of a program for the recovery of production through the renovation of coffee plantations by planting varieties resistant to this fungus.
"Among the results achieved it is worth noting that to date have been renovated more than 100,000 hectares of coffee plantations by planting trees massive variety Castle and its regional variations and has improved the health of the coffee park, downhill rust infection, alarming levels of 44 percent to a more manageable 12 percent. "