Between December 2019 and December 2020, an upward trend in the average price of regional coffee exports was reported, going from $2.72 to $3.14 per kilo.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
Between November 2019 and September 2020, an upward trend in the average price of regional coffee exports was reported, going from $2.44 to $3.31 per kilo.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
Changes in the points of consumption, increased sales through electronic channels, and more direct relationships between producers and roasters are some of the transformations reported in the coffee market at the regional and global level.
Changes in consumer habits, which were caused by the outbreak of covid-19 and the imposition of severe quarantines, ended up transforming several markets, including the coffee market.
Because of the rains generated in Central American countries by Hurricane Eta, authorities warn that coffee plantations could be threatened by the spread of pests or diseases.
According to the digital behavior of consumers, it is estimated that in the countries of the region more than 13 million people show interest in coffee, and most of them are between 19 and 45 years old.
A study of the interests and preferences of consumers in Central America, prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, shows interesting results on the preferences and tastes of people in several products, services and activities.
The increase to $135 of the international price of the quintal is promising for the coffee sector, since in recent years producers have gone through severe crises because of the fall in the price of the grain.
According to figures from Bloomberg Markets, between mid-November and the first week of December the price of a quintal of coffee at the international level registered an important upturn, going from $100 to $135.
The National Assembly of Nicaragua approved the bill that establishes that when the price per quintal of grain exceeds $100, producers must contribute one dollar to a commission that will watch over the incentives of the sector.
The changes to the Law on the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming were surrounded by controversy, since the previous law mandated that the National Commission for the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming (Conatradec) should be composed of nine representatives of the private sector, all proposed by the same producers or businessmen.
Although several sectors disapprove of the initiative, in Nicaragua the Legislative Commission in charge of the reform endorsed the bill that seeks to remove the power of businessmen to propose their representatives to the Coffee Commission.
On August 14, the Production and Economy Commission of the National Assembly ruled positively on the initiative presented by President Ortega to modify the Law for the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming.
The Nicaraguan government seeks to deprive the business sector of the power to propose its representatives to the National Commission for the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming.
President Daniel Ortega presented an initiative to the National Assembly to modify the Law for the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming, which among the changes includes that the Members of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep) do not have the power to propose their representatives to the National Commission for the Transformation and Development of Coffee Farming (Conatradec).
For the 2018-2019 harvest, the country began to export coffee of the Robusta variety, and according to the producers for the next agricultural cycles they plan to increase their cultivable area.
According to figures from the Center for Export Procedures (Cetrex) between October 2018 and May 2019, the country sold abroad about 50,000 quintals of the Robusta variety, being the first time that the species of the grain is reported in official export figures.
While producers in El Salvador predict that the local crop could be extinct in the next two years because of falling international prices, other countries in the region place grain at more favorable prices.
Each country's realities are different, as there are several differences that are reflected in the amounts exported and in the average prices at which the grain sells abroad.
Although the U.S. is the main buyer of Guatemalan coffee, data from the exporters' guild indicate that South Korea is one of the markets that pays the best prices for the grain, while Italy pays one of the lowest prices.
#Although the main buyer of Guatemalan coffee is the United States, there are indications that Asian countries tend to appreciate Guatemalan coffee more, paying a higher price for it, notes the report "Guatemalan Coffee: A Focus on the World Market and Its Productivity.
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"]
In Guatemala the union of producers has stated that a reduction in international prices is affecting the sector, which is already facing difficulties in covering production costs.
The National Coffee Association attributes the problem to international consortia, which may be exerting further downward pressure on grain prices.They warn that this situation will have a strong impact on the national economy, because with current prices, producers are not even able to cover their costs.
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