MILAN – Colombia’s coffee production rose 8% in January marking the best start of the year since 2008, according to monthly figures released on Wednesday by the country’s Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC).
The world biggest producer of washed Arabicas reaped 1,088,000 60-kg bags of coffee as compared to 1,011,000 in January 2013. Productivity reached 15.5 bags per ha, the highest level in 14 years.
Even more interesting, earnings rose a whopping 91% to 524 billion pesos (US$ 219 million).
Coffee production in the last 12 months (February 2014-January 2015) was up 11% to 12,217,000 bags.
During the first 4 months of coffee year 2014/15, output rose 2% on year to 4,390,000 bags.
Export surged 10% in January to 1,065,000 bags.
Shipments in the past 12 months totalled 11,054,000 bags, a 12% increase on the previous equivalent period.
The coffee renovation programme has provided Colombia with a “more productive, young and technologically advanced” coffee sector, “best suited to meet the challenges of climate variability and pests”, the Bogota-based group said in its report.
