RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Coffee exports from Central America and Asia rose sharply in October and November, the first months of the 2021/22 season, partially offsetting a steep decline in shipments from Brazil, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) said Monday.
Coffee sales from Central America and Mexico rose 30% to 940,000 bags during the period, while shipments from Asia and Oceania rose 22% to 6.21 million bags – a sign that other suppliers are jumping on the bandwagon as main exporter Brazil is unable to maintain volumes.
Brazilian shipments fell 31% to 6.36 million bags during the period, the ICO said in its monthly report, as logistical issues such as reduced container availability and a smaller crop combined with sluggish farmer sales reduced the flow of beans from the world’s largest producing country.
Guatemala and Honduras were the main contributors to the increase in coffee flows from Central America, while India was the largest contributor to the increase in shipments from Asia.
The ICO revised its estimate of global supply balance for the 2020/21 season ending in September to 2.41 million bags from 1.97 million bags, while reducing its estimate of total consumption by 420,000 bags to 167.24 million.