Drought halves black pepper production and affects coffee harvest in Espírito Santo, Brazil

The drought that hit Espírito Santo has caused severe losses to farmers, compromising the production of crops that are essential to the local economy. In the Caparaó region, famous for its production of high-quality Arabica coffee, the harvest could fall by up to 40% due to the prolonged drought. In the north of the state, black pepper production has been reduced by half. Coffee growers in the Caparaó region, facing possibly one of the worst periods of drought in recent years, have expressed great concern about the impact on their crops. The current situation threatens not only the quantity but also the quality of the beans, with significant consequences for the market. Alexandre Lacerda, a fourth-generation farmer in Dores do Rio Preto, in the district of Pedra Menina, shares the gravity of the situation: "In the last three months, it has only rained 90 millimeters, well below the expected 200 to 250 millimeters. The plants are stressed, and the beans are not completing the ...