Coffee harvest drops 20% due to negative biennial effect

The Brazilian coffee harvest for this year is confirmed at around 49,31 million 60-kilo bags processed, which represents a decrease of 20% compared to 2018 figures. This is what the 4th Coffee Survey of 2019 indicates. , released this Tuesday (17/12), by the National Supply Company (Conab).

The reduction is mainly due to the influence of the negative bienniality of Arabica coffee added to the reduction in the area allocated to production. Average productivity is 27,2 bags/hectares, 17,8% lower compared to 2018. Weather problems in regions with higher production also hampered crop development.

The total cultivated area reached 2,13 million hectares. Compared to the last harvest, there was a reduction in area for both the Arabica species and conilon, by a total of 1,2%. Currently, around 85% of coffee is in production and 15% in formation.

Regarding the Arabica species, production is set at 34,3 million bags, a reduction of 27,8%. Conilon reached 15 million bags harvested, with an increase of 5,9% compared to 2018. The Arabica area totals 1,73 million hectares, with a drop of 0,9%, and that of conilon occupies 398,8 thousand hectares, a reduction of 2,5%. Most of the area is occupied by the Arabica species, with 81% of the total space.

Minas Gerais is the state that concentrates the largest production of Arabica coffee. There was a decrease in area in the main producing regions, such as the south, central-west, cerrado, forest zone and north of the state. Production also fell, reaching 24,55 million bags. In Espírito Santo, the largest producer of conilon, there was a drop of 13,5 million bags and an average productivity of 34,27 bags/hectare.

The effect of the negative biennial period even affected other producing states. In São Paulo, with a predominance of Arabica, production should be at 4,34 million bags; Bahia (3 million); Rondônia, with emphasis on conilon (2,2 million); Paraná (953 thousand), Goiás (249 thousand); Rio de Janeiro (245 thousand); and Mato Grosso (121,4 thousand).

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