Posts Tagged ‘Global coffee’

Sept 17th 2008

The London-based International Coffee Organisation estimates that global coffee production in 2008/09 will reach about 131 million 60kg bags, up from a previous estimate of 128 million, according to Reuters Business News.

The revised estimate comes as Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry’s crop supply department, Conab, raised its estimate for Brazil’s 2008/09 coffee crop to 45.85 million bags, up from 45.5 million projected in May. The ICO estimates the 2007/08 global coffee crop unchanged at 118.2 million bags.

World coffee consumption was seen climbing to around 128 million bags this year if current growth rates continue, up from 124.7 million in 2007. The report didn’t give details on the expected implications for future coffee prices.

A story just in from Reuters Kampala, written by Frank Nyakairu, reports that changing weather patterns in Uganda may lead to the extinction of the east African country’s key export, coffee, in coming decades.

The story goes on to explain that Uganda is Africa’s second biggest coffee producer after Ethiopia and has become a major player in robusta coffee production after political unrest in former top grower Ivory Coast slashed output.

“The outlook is bleak. If the average global temperatures rise by two degrees or more, then most of Uganda is likely to cease to be suitable for coffee..this may happen in 40 years or perhaps as little as 30,” the report said. (more…)