During the first six months of the year, coffee exports from Central American countries totaled $1,948 million, 9% less than what was reported in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the coffee market in Central America complied by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
The disease has decreased considerably in recent years, as between 2014 and October 2018 the portion of the coffee plantation affected in El Salvador decreased from 38% to 10%.
According to monthly monitoring by the National Center for Agricultural and Forestry Technology (CENTA), the country's coffee plantation, which has been one of the most affected by the disease in the region, has considerably reduced the presence of rust.
To reduce production costs, the Guatemalan coffee association will implement a climate information system to provide access to more specific forecasts in coffee-growing areas.
According to the National Coffee Association (Anacafé) with the implementation of more weather stations in small coffee areas of the country, the costs of grain production could be reduced between 10% and 15%.
Although consumption has remained stable in recent years, the Costa Rican market now demands greater quality and variety in preparation methods.
According to figures from the Chamber of Coffee Roasters, per capita demand in the country is around four kilograms of coffee beans per year, which is equivalent to two cups of coffee per person per day.
José Manuel Hernando, president of the roasters guild, explained to Nacion.com that "...
The Salvadoran Coffee Council and Alliance for Coffee Excellence announced that during March 2019 samples will be received to participate in the contest.
The organizers informed that from November 2018 to January 2019 the participants of the international quality contest "Cup of Excellence El Salvador 2019" will be trained. The period for receiving samples is from March 11th to 15th and from March 18th to 22nd, 2019.
In Guatemala, for the 2018-2019 harvest, the production of green coffee is projected to reach 4.5 million quintals, which would exceed the 4.4 million quintals reported in the previous season.
According to Ricardo Arenas, president of the National Coffee Association (Anacafe), "... The 2018-2019 coffee harvest, which started last month, will stand at 4.5 million quintals of green coffee; of that figure, it is estimated that 3.5 million will be exported."
Because of the drought and the decrease in international prices, the trade guilds of the sector in El Salvador are projecting a decrease in production for the next harvests.
Marcelino Samayoa, CEO of the Asociación Salvadoreña de Beneficiadores y Exportadores (Abecafé), explained to Elmundo.sv that "... The drought registered in 2018 caused a slow increase in the ‘bandolas’, which are the branches of the coffee segments that should be there for 2019/2020.
Between the 2011-2012 and 2016-2017 harvests, the difference between the average price per quintal of the country's exports and the international market price of grain has more than doubled, from $25 to $54.
According to Investing.com data and figures provided by the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (Icafe), during coffee year 2011-2012 the average value of a 46 kg bag of coffee on the New York Market was $198.12 and the average price of Costa Rican exports was $222.76, reflecting a difference of $24.64.
In Honduras it has been reported that the $80 million that will be granted to the coffee sector is in the stage of consultation, risk analysis and verification of loan conditions.
Representatives of the Honduran Coffee Institute (Ihcafé) reported that two banking entities presented their proposals to manage the financing, which will be under the modality of syndicated credit, which consists of several institutions lending the funds, but only one will manage them and establish the conditions.
Coffee growers in Guatemala estimate that production in the agricultural cycle that is about to end will totol 4.3 million hundredweight, above the 4.2 million hundredweight reported in the 2016-2017 harvest.
Forecasts by the National Coffee Association (Anacafé) indicate that for the upcoming 2018-2019 harvest, production could be located at 4.5 million gold hundredweight (46 kilos sacks), which would mean a continuation of the recovery phase.
In the first eight months of the year the country generated $381 million from exports of the grain, 14% less than the $445 million reported in the same period in 2017.
According to figures from the Export Procedures Center (Cetrex), a decrease was also reported in relation to the volume exported for the period from January to August of this year, compared to the first eight months of 2017, in this case a drop of 3%.
A bill being discussed in the Guatemalan Congress proposes extending the term of the trust for renewal of coffee plantations and supporting producers until 2051.
The legal initiative for the Economic Reactivation of Coffee proposes altering the expiration date of the trust, currently foreseen until 2026, so that the coffee growers can have access to the resources until the year 2051.
In order to deal with the difficulties caused by the low international price of the grain, the Honduran government plans to make resources available to 120,000 coffee producers.
The Honduran presidency reported through a statement that one of the decrees, approved by the National Congress at the proposal of the Executive, creates the Special Guarantee Fund for the Coffee Sector with an initial contribution of 300 million lempiras ($12.7 million) from the Honduran Bank for Production and Housing (Banhprovi), which will provide 2,400 million lempiras ($101.9 million) in reciprocal guarantees, which will serve to propitiate operations of twice that value ($203.8 million).
On top of an international context with low prices, coffee producers in Nicaragua also have to deal with the complications arising from the sociopolitical crisis and a lack of financing options.
As if coffee production's current position in the unfavorable context of low international prices was not enough of a problem for coffee farmers, in Nicaragua they are facing yet other disadvantages, which only complicate the sector's prospects further.
With a few weeks to go before the end of the 2017/18 agricultural cycle, entrepreneurs in the sector project that production will amount to 1 million hundredweight less than initially expected.
In a complicated context, with international prices at record lows and rising local production costs, Honduras is projecting less grain production for this cycle.