SAO PAULO, 6 — The 2022/23 coffee crop in Colombia, the world’s second largest producer of Arabica, was estimated at 13 million bags, which corresponds to the same level of 2021/22 production, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. United States of America (USDA). According to the USDA report, although weather conditions are normal, crop productivity may be negatively impacted due to low fertilizer application due to high product prices.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has depleted the world’s fertilizer supply and pushed up input prices,” the department said in a note.
According to the USDA, coffee exports by Colombia remained unchanged at 13 million bags in 2022/23. Coffee imports should reach 1.9 million bags in the 2022/23 crop year to balance demand with exports and domestic consumption.
In 2022/23, domestic coffee consumption in Colombia is estimated to be 2.15 million bags, unchanged from the previous year. Inventory is estimated to be 485,000 bags in 2022/23, compared to 780,000 bags in 2021/22, as a result of lower production, unchanged domestic demand and good export levels.
The USDA also made amendments for the 2021/22 period. Estimated production of Colombian coffee dropped from 13.8 million to 13 million bags. “Coffee production was affected by heavy rainfall and cloudy weather due to La Nia weather during the first five months of 2022”, the unit highlighted.
Colombian coffee exports were revised down from 14 million bags to 13.1 million bags in 2020/21, down 6.7%. This change is a result of lower production requirements and increased domestic consumption. Coffee imports rose 9.1% for 2021/22 from 1.7 to 1.8 million bags, with Brazil representing the commodity’s largest supplier with 64% of the total.
