Colombia Begins Picking Coffee Harvest in Some Parts of New Coffee Belt
Colombia Begins Picking Coffee Harvest in Some Parts of New Coffee Belt
Bogota (Coffee Network)- The new coffee belt of Colombia has begun picking up their main harvest, which is coming affected by the prolonged droughts, coffee exporters, producers and coffee associations told Coffee Network.
The Colombia’s new coffee belt comprises the southern departments of Nariño, Cauca, central Tolima and some parts of Huila. They collect their main harvest in the April-June period. Their output is equivalent to about 45% of the country’s total production.
In Nariño, right next to the country of Ecuador, coffee picking began 15 days ago, but coffee is coming very thin. Losses are above 20% and above that value are discounts on the factor. “The weather is still summer and so the coffee does not ripen regularly,” Luis Carlos Burbano general manager of the coffee association Asprounion said.
“If it doesn't rain, we will report big losses. I calculate that if there are no positive changes in the climate, in the price or some government alternative. Coffee growing in the (municipality) of Union disappears in nine years,” Burbano told Coffee Network.
Colombia has been experiencing intense droughts linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. Earlier this year, forest fires were reported across Colombia with strong droughts already affecting the quality of coffee produced in this Andean country as soil is not getting enough water to nourish coffee trees.
The El Nino weather pattern is expected to last until April, the IDEAM government weather office says.
Colombia's dry season usually comes in the first quarter, but so far 2024 has been hotter than usual due to El Nino. Forest fires are now rare, but the lack of rainfall is affecting the quality of beans.
In the central province of Tolima, which is the third-largest producing province, the harvest is set to begin in April, but the harvest is also affected with thin beans, which has resulted in a high yield factor due to the strong droughts, a coffee grower in the Planadas town said.
Tolima’s FNC regional office told Coffee Network its main harvest will be abundant during the first half of the year thanks to good flowerings last year. In some lower land areas, the picking has begun.
In the central province of Cundinamarca in the Sumapaz region, they expect to pick an improved harvest in May due to some rains. They anticipate higher rainfall in April which will allow the filling of the grains.
“The harvest is coming strong. Fortunately, we have had some rainfall in the past couple of weeks that have favored us. We hope that rains will begin in April to allow the grain to grow,” said Miguel Calero from the town of Viota.
Rodrigo Solarte, technical coffee leader in the southern province of Cauca working for the extension service of the coffee growers federation, said they will report an abundant harvest due to the flowerings, but affected by El Niño phenomenon. “It is possible that the beginning of the harvest will be affected in quality. In the central area of the department it has rained almost normally. We hope that the quality of the harvest will be normal,” Solarte said.
The "new coffee belt" -- Colombia's output was traditionally dominated by Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio and Antioquia departments-- includes the states of Huila, Narino and Cauca. They have seen the largest growth in coffee acreage as cheap land especially in Cauca and Narino, lower labor costs and the substitution of illicit crops for beans have been boosting areas.
The Colombian coffee growers federation FNC said it will pay a surcharge on beans damaged by intense drought above local coffee prices, a measure that analysts see as contradictory as it will reward producers who have hit beans.
The coffee growers federation said it will pay a surcharge of up to Ps15,000 pesos on top of local coffee prices for two bags of parchment coffee for beans where the percentage of damaged beans exceed 15% or higher.
FNC will also pay a surcharge of Ps3,000 pesos above daily coffee prices for parchment coffee on the beans that report a 3% level of affectation.
The commercial measure seeks to protect the income of producers.
The spread of broca, also known as the coffee berry borer, is affecting the quality of beans in key departments of Colombia, according to coffee growers and coffee cooperatives.
By Diana Delgado
