Brazil may have second largest coffee harvest of history
The first estimate shows a growth from 17.8% to 24.4% in the Arabica coffee's production, which covers 76.5% of the country's total production. 
The world's largest coffee producer, Brazil is expected to beat a record production in the 2016 harvest, which should be between 49 and 52 million bags of the processed product. If we consider the average production (50.5 million), this may be the second largest crop in the country's history, behind the 2002 crop (50.8 million). The forecast indicates an increase from 13.6% to 20.1% in the 43.24 million bags produced in 2015. Each bag weighs 60 kilos. Data were disclosed Wednesday (Jan. 20) by the National Supply Company (CONAB).
According to CONAB, this is a high biennial year for coffee, due to the characteristic of its culture, which has better yields in alternate years, regardless of the soil treatment or other technological actions; especially the coffee Arabica type.
The first estimate shows a growth from 17.8% to 24.4% in the Arabica coffee's production, which covers 76.5% of the country's total production. CONAB expects between 37 and 40 million bags to be harvest, because of increasing 67,600 hectares of area under production, of adding areas that were in formation and being renewed, and of more favorable weather conditions.
Coffee conilon's production, 23.2% of Brazil's total, is expected to be between 11 and 12 million bags, increasing between 1.8 to 8% when compared to the 2015 harvest. This result is mainly due to the recovery of productivity in the states of Espírito Santo, Bahia and Rondônia.
The Arabica coffee's planted area totals 1.78 million hectares, 79.2% of the coffee plantations area. For the new harvest, a growth of 0.8% (13,400 hectares) is expected. Minas Gerais has the largest area with the species (1.2 million hectares), 67.8% of the Arabica coffee's planted area in the country.
Brazil has been the largest global coffee producer for over 100 years. Plantations cover about 27,000 square kilometers of the country, and are mostly in the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná, where weather and temperature are ideal for coffee production.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Brazil may have second largest coffee harvest of history
