We all love a nice cup of hot coffee, however; concerns have been aired about Brazil’s next coffee crop due to unseasonal rains. Recently, prices have jumped up, which has caused a rush in orders. There are worries about early flowering in the tree crops, which could potentially harm the next crop of coffee. Could you cut down on your coffee consumption, or are you happy to pay the rising prices? Read on for more on this story:
August is usually dry, but due to unseasonal rain in this month there are concerns that the next crop of coffee will be harmed. The price of coffee is at an all time high already; up 80% since the beginning of the year.
Usually, coffee trees will flower around October/September time. However, if it rains too soon, which is what has been predicted by experts, this could trigger early flowering for the crops. It may also cause coffee cherries to develop. This means that if dry weather follows afterwards (likely), the crops could simply die off. This would result in very little quality coffee actually being harvested.
Brazil is responsible for over half of the world’s coffee production, and is famous for the high quality coffee it produces. The smooth taste is hard to beat. Unseasonal droughts could damage the Bahati coffee beans and tree branches, meaning that flower development is impaired.
If there are 2 poor harvests in a row, then you can expect coffee prices to jump even higher – as much as $3 a pound. It would be the highest it’s been since 2011. People are being warned to keep an eye out for rising coffee prices in 2015/2016, as this is the next big risk.
Even coffee shops such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee have been forced to raise prices to keep up with the rising arabica coffee prices.
There’s a big price difference between robusta and arabica coffee. The lower quality bean, robusta, is usually used in instant coffee. However, if people switch to using the cheaper coffee in their blends, this could lead to the prices of robusta rising too.
Unfortunately, nothing can be done about unseasonal rain, nor can anything be done to stop the coffee trees flowering prematurely. All we can do is hope that the rains stave off and the trees flower in October/September as usual. If not, we could be paying through the nose just to get our morning energy boost in the form of a cup of coffee.
Coffee has many benefits, including:
- Increased mental alertness.
- Better focus.
- Improved physical performance.
- Risk of diseases and illnesses reduced.
- Antioxidants and nutrients.
- Lower risk of depression.
Plus, studies have recently discovered that a cup of coffee a day could help with oral health and protect the teeth from decay. It would be a shame to stop buying coffee or to have to cut down because of the unseasonal droughts, but it may be a necessary precaution to take. Limiting your coffee consumption now, could prepare you for the next bad crop and help you to cut back on your coffee expenses.
