Central American Coffee Quality Possibly Hurt by Hurricanes: ICO

By Manisha Jha

(Bloomberg) --

Coffee quality in Central America may have been hurt by hurricanes Iota and Eta that hit the region in November, according to Jose Sette, executive director of the International Coffee Organization.

“The damage in terms of volumes is considered to be relatively small, but the region is a major supplier of high-quality coffee and quality may have been affected,” Sette said in a webinar organized by the ICO

“Prices of coffee in the region and differentials with respect to New York futures have been consistently higher since the hurricanes. With regards to exports, there have been many reports of damage on infrastructure, which caused delays to exports”
Data showed a drop in exports from Central America in the first two months of the 2020-21 season, according to Sette

“It is hard to know if this trend will keep up or as infrastructure is repaired we see an improvement in flow of coffee to the ports”
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