Conab projects a positive scenario for Brazilian coffee production this year

National Coffee Day, celebrated this Wednesday (24), brings a positive scenario to producers. Data from the second estimate for this year’s coffee crop in Brazil, released by the National Supply Company (Conab), indicate that total national production, including Arabica and conilon species, will reach 54.74 million bags, a volume of 7.5% higher than the harvest harvested last year. Compared to the 2021 harvest, the increase will be 14.7%.

According to Conab, the estimate is still preliminary, since the crop cycle is ongoing and also depends on climate factors. Likewise, the area devoted to coffee growing in the country shows expansion of 0.3% over the previous harvest, with a total of 2.25 million hectares, with 1.87 million hectares for crops in production, indicating an increase of 1 .7%.

The state of Minas Gerais continues to lead the national production ranking. In Minas, it is estimated for this year production of 27.83 million bags, which represents an increase of 26.7% over the volume harvested in the previous harvest.

Women

In celebration of National Coffee Day, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) released a video today in which coffee producers report their experiences in the sector. The video was produced by the Observatory of Rural Women in Brazil project, developed by Embrapa in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

According to the 2017 Agricultural Census, women are in charge of more than 40,000 agricultural establishments with coffee production in Brazil. The number represents 13.2% of the 304.5 thousand existing establishments. Most of the developments are in the Southeast Region, where 72% of the properties are located. As, in addition to the directors, there are 48,100 women in the condition of co-managing spouses, Embrapa estimates that 88,400 women manage and co-manage coffee establishments throughout Brazil.

The video highlights that properties managed by women employ more females (43% of employed persons) than those managed by men (only 24% of employed persons). Rosa Helena Vieira, one of the coffee growers who appear in the video, said that, until recently, women working in the sector did not say that they were coffee growers. She herself worked with coffee, but, in the documents, she said that she was “at home”. Now, however, she presents herself as a producer, at Fazenda Vieira. “If she is a producer, she has to be recognized as a rural producer.”

Embrapa Café researcher Helena Alves, who participated in the analysis of data from the Agricultural Census on female participation in coffee growing, highlighted that, in Brazil, women have always been present in this segment throughout the country’s history. Initially, women appeared as slaves and settlers, they became wives and daughters of producers and today they fight against invisibility and want to have their rights of access to land, credit, training and remuneration guaranteed, said Helena.

Maria da Penha Almeida, a rural producer in Matas de Minas (MG), speaks in the video about her experience in the cooperative in which she participates, and says that she passes on to other women what she learns. “What I know is not enough. I want to learn and pass on what I know to those who are starting now”, said Maria da Penha.

no world

A report released in April by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) estimates that world coffee production for the 2022-2023 harvest will reach 171.3 million 60-kilogram bags, with an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous harvest 2021-2022, which registered 168.5 million bags. The report reveals that global coffee consumption in the 2021/2022 period also increased by 0.6% in physical volume, compared to the same previous period, reaching 175.6 million 60-kilogram bags.

For the current harvest, referring to the 2022/2023 period, world demand should reach around 178.5 million 60-kilogram bags. This will represent an increase of 1.7% compared to the same previous period. According to the ICO, if this happens, the world coffee market will face another year of reduced supply, which will be around 7.3 million 60-kilogram bags.

As for exports, the report indicates that, in March this year, global sales of green beans totaled 10.9 million 60-kilogram bags. Of this number, 3.08 million bags were green Brazilian Naturals, 960,000 bags of Colombian Milds, in addition to 2.11 million bags of Other Milds and 4.74 million bags of Robustas.

The participation of soluble coffee in global exports was 10.1%, also having March 2023 as a reference. Brazil appears as the largest exporter of soluble coffee, with external sales of 320 thousand bags in the month.