Reports CTRM for Agricultural and Soft Commodities

CTRM for Ags & Softs Coffee Coffee is grown in about eighty countries across South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. There are two main varieties, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee comprises around three-quarters of the coffee grown worldwide, and it is grown in Latin America, Central and East Africa, India and, to some extent, Indonesia. Robusta coffee is grown in West and Central Africa, throughout South-East Asia and, to some extent, in Brazil. Overview Brazil is the largest coffee exporting nation, but Vietnam tripled its exports between 1995 and 1999, and became a major producer of Robusta beans. Indonesia is the third-largest exporter and the largest producer of washed Arabica coffee.World coffee exports amounted to 9.69 million bags in June 2015, compared with 10.02 million bags in June 2014. Exports in the first nine months of coffee year 2014/15 (Oct/14 to June/15) fell by 4.3% in comparison with the first nine months of the last coffee year, and in the twelve months ending June 2015, exports of Arabica totaled 67.31 million bags compared to 69.34 million bags the previous year; whereas Robusta exports amounted to 43.12 million bags compared to 44.66 million bags according to the International Coffee organization. Coffee Production The coffee bean is really a seed that when it is dried, roasted and ground may be used to brew coffee. Alternatively, it can be planted to grow a coffee tree. The coffee seeds are usually initially planted in shaded nurseries until theysproutand then the seedlings are planted in individual pots in carefully formulated soils. They require frequent watering and also need to be shaded from bright light until they are strong enough to be permanently planted. Depending on the variety of coffee plant, it will take around 3 to 4 years for the trees to begin to bear fruit. The fruit is called a coffee cherry, and it turns a deep red when it is ripe and ready to be picked.The coffee crop is mainly handpicked, though in some locations, the process has been mechanized. All coffee is harvested in one of two ways:   Strip Picked - the entire crop is harvested at one time by machine or by hand and all the cherries are stripped off the branches at one time Selectively Picked –In this method, only the ripe cherries are harvested and they are picked by hand. Pickers rotate among the trees every 8 - 10 days, choosing only the cherries that are ripe In most coffee-growing countries, there is one harvest a year, but in some areas there is both a main and secondary crop. A good coffee picker will pick around 100 to 200 pounds of coffee cherries each day and that may produce 20 to 40 pounds of coffee beans. Once picked, processing must begin as quickly as possible to prevent spoilage.Depending on location and local resources, coffee is processed in one of two ways:  The Dry Method- This is the original method of processing coffee still used in many countries where water resources are limited. The freshly picked cherries are spread out to dry in the sun. The cherries are continuously © Commodity Technology Advisory LLC, 2016, All Right Reserved 35

Reports CTRM for Agricultural and Soft Commodities | Page 36