UPDATE: Colombia’s Coffee Exporters Association Requests Beginning Commercial Robusta Production
UPDATE: Colombia’s Coffee Exporters Association Requests Beginning Commercial Robusta Production
(Adds further comments from Asoexport director on Robusta yields)
Cartagena (Coffee Network)- Colombia should take advantage of increased demand and prices for Robusta coffee unlike Arabica beans to begin commercial production of Robusta , the president of the board of the coffee exporters association, Santiago Pinzon, said at the opening ceremony of the 87th coffee exporters association summit (Asoexport).
The reduction in Arabica prices and an increase of global Robusta prices highlights the importance of Agrosavia-- the agricultural research institute--, to move forward with the commercial production of Robusta beans.
Gustavo Gomez, director of Asoexport, requested the administration of President Gustavo Petro to support Robusta beans, claiming that Nestle has already committed to buy all the Robusta produced in Colombia in the future.
“We request more support from the Agriculture and Finance ministries to allow Agrosavia move on with production of Robusta in semi commercial plots of land,” Gomez, told attendees of the 87th Asoexport summit held in Cartagena.
Colombia does not produce Robusta, but the states of Meta, Casanare, Vichada, Nariño and Arauca have a high potential to produce Robusta coffee, which allows mechanized harvesting as they are located on flat lands. Those states produce marginally Arabica beans on the slopes of its mountains.
Unlike many Latin American nations, which are producing Robusta beans, Colombia is no longer seeing Robusta as a taboo-bean. Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala among others had bet on Robusta crops because it has higher yields, lower input costs and is more resistant to roya.
Agrosavia is carrying out tests to produce Robusta beans in the Pacific town of Tumaco, humid areas in the Caribbean and the Llanos Foothills.
Agrosavia has already imported the seeds of Robusta, and the seedlings are being reproduced, Gomez said.
The cup of Robusta beans produced in Tumaco is yielding a much higher quality of coffee than those of Brazil or Vietnam, Gomez noted.
Colombia could plant up 80,000 hectares of Robusta beans, which could yield 3.2 million bags of 60-kg in three-four years. By doing so, Colombia could recover production of about 14 million bags, a level that lost four years ago. The production of 3.2 million bags could help replace the 2 million bags of imported coffee that it’s used for local consumption needs.
An hectare of Robusta could yield as much as 40 bags of 60-kg of coffee, twice as much as the one produced by Arabica, Gomez noted.
Colombian President Petro ordered to form an interinstitutional table that invited the global president of Nestle to promote the production of Robusta beans.
Agrosavia says it is understanding the adaptation and performance. Agrosavia says is learning the agronomy of the robusta. It is also evaluating planting distances, fertilization, integrated management of pests and diseases, pruning, etc.
Colombia, which is a large Arabica coffee exporter, currently imports Robusta for production of instant coffee.
The common denominator among all the countries that have begun or are set to plant Robusta seeds, is that production costs can be as 50% lower than those of Arabica as Robusta allows mechanization to collect beans, a component that heavily increases production costs among Arabica plantations.
Productivity is also a factor that weighs heavily on the decision to look back to Robusta.
European Union
Pinzon said coffee growers should pay close attention to the new European Union law that bans imports of agricultural products, such as palm oil, soy, and coffee, if they were grown on land cleared for agricultural use after 2020. This is one of the leading talks at the 87 Coffee Exporters Association summit.
The law approved in December came into effect in July. The law says to fight climate change and biodiversity loss, companies must ensure products sold in the EU have not led to deforestation and forest degradation.
By Diana Delgado
