Guatemala Sees 2009/10 Coffee Output 3.85 Mln Bags

Guatemalan Coffee production in the 2009/2010 cycle will be 3.85 million 60-kg bags, up from the 3.3 million bags harvested in the 2008/09 season, growers group Anacafe said on Monday.

« We estimate … sales of 3.85 million 60-kg bags, » said Anacafe head Christian Rasch, who noted that domestic demand should account for about 10 to 12 percent of production.

Rasch had said this month that production would be 3.5 million bags, but he later said he was referring to coffee exports of 3.5 million bags. Anacafe said this month that better weather and improved flowering pointed toward higher output in this cycle than the 2008/09 season.

High-quality Guatemalan coffee is prized by buyers.

The good growing conditions come as global demand for quality coffee rises. That is mainly because Colombia, one of the world’s top producers, is facing shortages due to poor weather conditions and a program to replace the country’s coffee trees.

Source : Flexnews