The National Association of the Coffe Industry increased their production estimates for the 2009-2010 harvest, from 3.5 to to 3.85 million 60-kilogram sacks.
With this new forecast, production would increase 17% in comparison to the previous cycle.
"Good growth conditions are appearing at times when global demand for quality coffee is raising, as Colombia - one of the largest coffee producers of the world - is facing shortages due to adverse climate and a coffee plantation renewal program", reported newspaper La Prensa Gráfica in its website.
A Price Premium of between $30 and $35 per quintal is being paid when it was between $8 and $12.
The president of the National Association of Coffee in Guatemala, Christian Rasch, said that although revenues from coffee exports have fallen by 45%, demand for the product continues to rise, which is demonstrated by the price premium being paid for it.
Export revenues grew by 2.8% and tourism by 4.3%, but remittances fell by 9.6%.
The statistics published by the Bank of Guatemala and noted in sigloxxi.com, referred to the period between January 1 and March 5.
The drop in remittances is highlighted: “In February of this year, $281.9 million entered the country from family remittances, an amount $36.4 million less than what was captured during the same month in 2008, a decrease of 11.4%.
The Guatemala government is opening one office in France and another in either Japan or Taiwan to support coffee marketing in Europe and Asia.
Vice President Rafael Espada made the announcement at the 19th National Coffee Congress.
Espada said the National Coffee Association will be asked to name the executives who will staff the offices.
Association president Christian Rasch said the move will help open markets in Australia and Russia.
The decision by Starbucks to close 600 of its stores will not affect its purchases of Guatemalan coffee, said William Hempstead, director of the National Coffee Association (Anacafé).
Guatemala sells some 25 percent of its coffee to Starbucks, which is also supplied by Costa Rica.
Anacafé could benefit more producers with the 48 million dollars that are in the account of the coffee trust created in 2001.
The president of the National Coffee Association, Christian Rasch, said Wednesday that small producers have requested that the trust be used to reactivate plantations.
So far 52 million dollars of the 100-million-dollar trust have been used.
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