Brazil increases coffee crop forecast

02 July 1998

Brazil increases coffee crop forecast

THE Brazilian Government has increased its forecast for the 1998-99 coffee harvest to 33.95 million 60kg bags – compared with its January estimate of 31.17m bags.

Attention is now shifting to weather conditions. The last serious frost damage to the Brazilian harvest was in 1994. Brazilian coffee plantations are susceptible to frost damage up until the end of August. However, July tends to be the critical month.

Meteorologists anticipate frosts in the south, away from the countrys coffee-growing regions, nevertheless, market analysts are nervously watching the countrys weather conditions.

• Financial Times 02/07/98 page 42