October One Of Colombia’s Rainiest Month: Coffee Research Institute: Cenicafe
Coffee Network (Bogota) – October is one of the rainiest months of the year in most of Colombia as the month belongs to the country’s second rainy season and because of the migration from the North Intertropical Convergence Zone to the Center of the country, and the passage of Eastern Tropical Waves, the Colombian coffee research institute Cenicafe, said.
The neutral condition of El Niño Southern Oscillation is present, although the main monitoring centers mention the probability that a La Niña condition will be established for the last quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.
The return of La Niña once again is bad news for this country, the world’s largest producer of high-quality Arabica beans as coffee plantation did not soak up luminosity in late 2020 and early 2021, and once again plantations will endure strong showers.
In fact, the arrival of the country’s second rainy season much earlier- than- expected, and the lack of flowerings earlier this year have created a shortfall of coffee output in the world’s third largest coffee exporter. Analysts in some provinces are saying that coffee output is coming sharply reduced in key provinces such as Antioquia, Colombia’s second-largest producing province.
The Colombia’s coffee growers federation has set the goal to produce around 14 million 60-kg bags in 2021, but some growers and exporters have pegged output at a median of 13.3 million bags, according to a Coffee Network survey.
Cenicafé said strong showers are expected in the Andean and Central-West regions of the Orinoquia. The Pacific region maintains its naturally humid conditions, and in the Amazon the upward trend in precipitation volumes continues towards the end of the year. But other regions will experience fewer rainfall. Rainfall decreases between 10% and 20% are expected in the Center and North of Huila and Caquetá. In specific sectors of La Guajira, rainfall increases between 10% and 20% are estimated
Meanwhile, for the minimum and maximum temperature, in much of the country, values close to historical records are estimated, Cenicafé noted.
In September, rainfall was within the historical range at the coffee weather stations of Pueblo Bello (Cesar), San Antonio (Santander) and Blonay (Norte de Santander).
The number of days with rain greater than and equal to 0.1 mm was 13 days for the Pueblo Bello station, 20 days for San Antonio and 26 days for Blonay. The humidity index derived from the water balance for the Pueblo Bello station showed normal conditions throughout the month, while in the San Antonio station the first decade of the month presented a water deficit condition. Historically, for the month of October, at the Pueblo Bello, San Antonio and Blonay stations rainfall averages of 301, 155 and 209 mm are registered, respectively
But in October, the records of water are increasing from north to south, being in La Guajira between 50 and 150 mm on average. For the Magdalena, Cesar and Bolívar departments, rainfall increases with values between 150 and 300 mm.
In the Antioquia province, which is in the midst of picking its main harvest, rainfall continues abundant with records up to 600 mm in some specific coffee growing areas.
The volume of rainfall in the stations El Rosario (Antioquia), Bertha (Boyacá), La Trinidad (Tolima), Jorge Villamil (Huila) and La Sirena (Valle del Cauca), was above the historical range in September, while in the Naranjal (Caldas), Paraguaicito (Quindío), Simón Campos (Huila) and La Catalina (Risaralda) stations, the volume of rainfall was within the historical range, Cenicafe noted.
The number of days with rain greater than and equal to 0.1 mm was 17 days for the Naranjal station, 22 days for El Rosario, 25 days for the Bertha station, 15 days for the Jorge Villamil station, 19 days for La Catalina, 18 days for La Sirena, 16 days for Paraguaicito and 12 days for La Trinidad and Simón
The result of the water balance in the El Rosario, Naranjal, La Catalina, La Trinidad and Paraguaicito stations showed normal conditions throughout the month, while the Jorge Villamil station presented conditions of water deficit in the first decade of the month.
In the month of October, rains show slight increases with respect to the previous month, in extensive sectors of the departments of Caldas, Antioquia, Sur de Santander and Norte de Risaralda, with records ranging between 200 and 600 mm.
In the North of Tolima, Cundinamarca and Boyacá there are rainfalls that fluctuate between 200 and 400 mm. Rains increased significantly compared to the previous month in the departments of Valle del Cauca, South of Risaralda, south of Tolima and Norte del Cauca, with records ranging on average from 150 to 400 mm. In small specific areas of the departments of Valle del Cauca and Sur del Huila there are historical records between 100 and 150 mm.
Valle del Cauca and Risaralda are also picking their main harvest in October through December.
Historically, for the month of October, El Rosario, Naranjal, Bertha, La Trinidad, La Catalina, Paraguaicito, La Sirena and Simón Campos, there is an average rainfall of 301, 315, 237, 241, 264, 281, 260 and 160 mm, respectively.
Coffee Recomendations
Cenicafé tells coffee growers to record the blooms, which will determine the production
of the second half of 2022. Also, identify the blooms in each region is a support tool for
planning of cultivation work and pest management and diseases.
For sowing or reseeding, the material must be of origin known, with certified seed and varieties resistant to rust such as Castillo and Cenicafé 1.
Fertilize the coffee plantations that are in the production and harvest stages, with based on soil analysis.
By Diana Delgado
