In its fourth (post harvest) official estimate for the 2014/15, Brazil’s crop supply agency Conab pegged the country’s coffee harvest at 45.35 million bags down 7.7% from the 49.1 million produced in 2013/14.
This is an increase of 0.5%, or a little more of 200,000 bags, compared to the third estimate released in September.
For the first time in more than 20 years, Brazilian output has fallen for two successive seasons. The drop in production was primarily due to the severe drought that affected most of the main coffee-growing areas during the summer season.
Arabica crop is estimated at 32.31 million bags, or 71.2% of the overall harvest, down 15.6%, or 5.979 million bags, from 2013/14.
On the other hand, Robusta production rose to 13.04 million bags, up 20% on year.
Output in Minas Gerais, Brazil’s largest coffee producer, fell to 22.6 million bags, almost 5 million bags down on year (-18.1%).
Espirito Santo saw a 9.5% surge in production to 12.8 million bags thanks to a bumper Robusta crop of 9.949 million bags (+21.2%), although Arabica output was down 18% to 2.86 million bags.
Despite lower productivity, Sao Paulo – the second-ranked Arabica-growing state after Minas Gerais – witnessed a 14.4% surge in production to 4.59 million bags thanks to the increased planted area revealed by the most recent field survey.
Bahia recorded the biggest jump in production (+31.8%) with a harvest reaching 2.3767 million bags. Output rose also in Rondonia (+8%), while Parana reported the largest drop in production, hurt by frost last year as well as drought in early 2014.
