Brazil's coffee crop this year is going to total 46 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee, representing growth of 27.5% over that of last year, or 9.9 million bags more. This is going to be the second largest crop ever recorded, after the 2002/3, which amounted to 48.48 million bags.
In 2007, 36 million bags were harvested and this year, coffee exports increased 2%, rising from 27.8 million bags in 2007 to 28.5 million bags this year. Production of Arabica coffee this year stood at 35.5 million bags, and 10.51 million bags of the Conilon variety were produced.
The leading coffee producer state, Minas Gerais, ends the year with an output of 23.58 million bags, followed by Espírito Santo, at 10.2 million bags, and São Paulo, at 4.4 million bags.
This year, productivity has increased, however the planted area decreased 0.3% in comparison with the previous crop. The figures were disclosed by the National Supply Company (Conab), an organ of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.
Overseas Promotion
To increase Brazilian coffee exports, the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC) are going to invest 24.084 million Brazilian reais (US$ 10.3 million) in activities to promote the Brazilian product abroad between 2008 and 2010. The new project is turned to countries that have high potential for coffee purchase.
Among the activities to be organized are Brazilian Gastronomic Weeks in renowned restaurants in South America, Asia and Europe, where typically Brazilian foods should be served, together with the sampling of Brazilian coffee.
Currently, the United States is the main market for the Brazilian product, responsible for 70% of coffee exports. The idea behind the project is to promote coffee in countries like Panama, Chile, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Spain, France, Poland and Germany, among others.
The first country to receive a group or Brazilian chefs should be Chile, where the World Congress of the World Association of Chefs Societies should take place. Coffee should also be promoted by a team of coffee experts, the Brazilian Coffee Team, which should serve several kinds of drinks using the product, all to win the taste buds of new consumers.
According to the president of the Apex, Alessandro Teixeira, in a press statement disclosed by the organization, this is the moment to seed in the global market the image of Brazil as a producer and processor of excellent quality coffee.
According to figures supplied by the ABIC, Brazil is the main global producer of coffee, and in 2007 the country produced 33.4 million bags. Shipments totaled 28.1 million bags last year, placing the country in the position of main global exporter.
Apart from that, Brazil is the second main coffee consumer market, with 17 million bags consumed. This is not the first time that the Apex-Brasil and ABIC join forces to promote foreign sales of coffee.
In 2002, exports totaled US$ 4 million, with activities of both organizations, sales reached US$ 26 million in 2007, a total that has already been exceeded in the first 10 months of 2008, when roasted and ground coffee exports reached US$ 34 million.
