Coffee output seen to decline
Coffee production in the country is expected to dip 2%-3% this year as it takes a hit from El Niño, a report of the US Department of Agriculture attaché in Manila said.
“Philippine coffee production in marketing year 2010 is expected to decline as a result of the hot and dry weather conditions experienced due to El Niño. Marketing year 2010 imports of coffee beans and soluble coffee are expected to remain high...at estimated nearly 40%-50% of total annual domestic requirement,” the report said.
The report also cited data from the Philippines’ Bureau of Agricultural Statistics which said coffee production dipped to 96,433 metric tons (MT) in 2009 from 97,430 MT the previous year. Moreover, total area planted with coffee decreased to 122,000 hectares from 123,000 hectares in the same comparative years.
Consequently, imports of coffee beans nearly doubled to 30,700 MT in 2009 from 15,700 MT the previous year, while imports of soluble coffee and coffee concentrates increased to 19,293 MT from 13,960 MT in the same comparative years.
Pacita U. Juan, co-chairman of the Philippine Coffee Board, said by phone yesterday that “coffee production in 2010 will decrease as compared to the previous year by as much as 10% because of El Niño.”
Most recent data from the Department of Agriculture showed that coffee production decreased to 32,360 MT in the first quarter of 2010 from 32,930 MT in the same period last year. BusinessWorld
