CNA discusses actions to mitigate climate effects on coffee growing

The National Coffee Commission of the Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) discussed, in a meeting on Friday (14/10), actions to mitigate climate effects on coffee farming. Among the actions are access to rural credit through the Coffee Economy Defense Fund (Funcafé) and risk management through rural insurance.

“A structural project is needed for Brazilian coffee farming. We at the CNA System must come together and seek support from other segments of the sector to create strategic planning for the future of coffee farming in Brazil. We need to put everything on the table and see what we can do for producers, because without it there is no coffee, income generation and jobs”, stated the president of the commission, José Edgard Pinto Paiva.

According to Paiva, arabica, the main coffee exported by Brazil, is the species that has suffered the most from climate problems. In Minas Gerais alone, the largest producing state in the country, more than 13 hectares were affected by hail in 2022.

The commission's technical advisor, Raquel Miranda, presented data showing the effects of climate on coffee production since 2020.

“In addition to the significant drop in production in the 2021 and 2022 coffee harvests, we already know that the 2023 harvest also had its productive potential compromised by climate issues. The impact on the production of Arabica coffee is more latent, requiring targeted actions for these regions,” he said.

According to Raquel, the productive potential for the Arabica crop in 2022 was 46,56 million bags, but according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab), the harvest was only 32,07 million bags. , a loss of 14,49 million bags in Arabica alone.

Raquel also explained how the Funcafé credit lines work, which provide exclusive rural credit for coffee growing in working capital, marketing, costing, Financing for Coffee Acquisition (FAC) and recovery of damaged coffee plantations.

“We currently have R$6 billion in Funcafé resources that need to be used assertively,” he added.

As a suggestion, the commission listed some points mainly for the damaged coffee plantation recovery line, in addition to the dialogue with financial agents for wide dissemination of the banks that contracted resources for this line, so that it is offered to the producer.