USDA sees Brazil’s production slightly lower at 66.3 mil bags on worse prospects for robusta

MILAN – In its latest semi-annual report on Brazil, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered its estimate of Brazilian production for Marketing Year 2023/24 (July-June) to 66.3 million 60-kg bags, green bean equivalent, from the original 66.4 million bags, based on a projected decline in robusta/conilon production. Arabica production is expected to reach 44.9 million bags, a 12.8 percent increase over the previous season, due to an increase in planted area and higher yield, benefiting from favorable weather conditions in comparison to past harvests. According to Post contacts in the leading coffee producing state of Minas Gerais, producers have indicated greater confidence in the 2023/24 yields. Robusta/conilon production is projected at 21.4 million bags, 1.4 percent lower than the previous estimate of 21.7 million bags and 6.1 percent lower in relation to the last season. This decrease is due to an expected reduction ...