Global warming puts coffee production at risk

GLOBAL warming poses a threat to future world coffee crops with rising temperatures and drought likely to force some producers to seek higher and cooler land, according to a report issued by analyst FO Licht. “Few now doubt that global warming is going to present the world’s coffee growers with a big challenge in the years to come,” it said. It noted a United Nations Environment Programme research project in Uganda, for instance, had concluded that a rise in temperatures of about 2 degrees Celsius would mean a “dramatic” reduction in the coffee growing area with producers moving to higher regions where there is less suitable land. In India, Coorg coffee region, rising temperatures and reduced rainfall would have a detrimental impact due to a drop in the number of bees to fertilise the trees and an increased threat from a destructive pest, white stem borer, it added. “Whether or not some coffee regions eventually fade away is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain — coffee farmers by and large are a tenacious breed because often enough they have no other viable sources of earning a living,” the report said. Meanwhile, Robusta coffee futures ended slightly higher in London on Wednesday, lifted by trade buying with volume boosted by rolling forward of positions out of the front month, dealers said. Benchmark May finished up $7 at $1,544 a tonne after trading in a range of $1,545 to $1,535. Dealers said the market was supported by gains in New York Arabica futures amid signs that the US market may be bottoming out after recent weakness. They noted, however, the London market continued to lack any clear overall direction with prices still well within its recent trading range of $1,457 to $1,584, basis May.

Courtesy: EconomicTimes