MILAN – Coffee trading in Vietnam resumed last week, after the government eased lockdown restrictions introduced in early April. Trading activity was limited – farmers are not willing to sell their beans because of low prices and demand from the export sector is not as high as before the outbreak.
Traders said coffee farmers in Central Highlands were struggling to secure a sufficient amount of water for their trees, as it had not rained since December, reports Reuters.
“If this situation persists, the lack of water may result in a poor harvest later this year with smaller-sized beans,” a trader based in Vietnam was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s Mitaca midyear coffee crop, which traditionally peaks harvest in the months of April and May, is now under threat from the fallout of the coronavirus lock down that has swept the country since the end of March.
With day laborers unable to work in the country, growers are looking for local help with the crucial crop, shows a report from CGTN America.
The Colombian National Government has presented the agricultural sector, including coffee farmers, with a set of guidelines on how to take the precautions necessary to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
According to I. & M. Smith, these guidelines are to address the challenges associated with the provisions of labour as well as the access to inputs such as fertilizers.
The measures are in line with the provisions of the ministry of Health and with these in place all essential workers involved with the production, storage and transportation of agricultural goods will have the necessary knowledge to mitigate the risks of spreading the Covid-19 virus whilst performing key work functions to ensure that the flow of goods to consumer markets is disrupted as little as possible.
