Global coffee exports fall 9.3% in Nov '07

The global coffee exports have declined by 9.3 per cent to a little over seven million bags in November 2007 mainly due to a sharp fall in shipments from countries such as Brazil, Vietnam and India.

Coffee exports from India during the period declined by 22 per cent at 1,68,374 bags as against 2,16,937 bags in the year-ago period. One bag is equal to 60 kg.

"World coffee exports totalled just over 7 million bags in November 2007, a decrease of 9.3 per cent compared with the volume of 7.74 million (77.4 lakh) bags recorded in November 2006," International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said in its latest report.

Arabica exports during the month went down by nearly 7.6 per cent to 47.7 lakh bags from 51.6 lakh bags in November 2006, while robusta exports were also down by 12.6 per cent from 25.7 lakh bags to 22.5 lakh bags, ICO added.

The exports from Brazil, the world's largest producer, went down by 18.05 per cent to 24,62,895 bags in November 2007 compared with 30,05,374 bags in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Vietnam, which is the world's second largest coffee exporter after Brazil, saw a fall of 31.53 per cent in shipments at 7,28,943 bags against 10,64,707 bags in last year.

Peru exported 4.75 lakh bags against 5,54,286 bags in the year-ago period, down by 14.3 per cent. Exports from Uganda and Ethopia fell by 21 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

ICO, however, said that coffee exports in the 12 months to November 07 were up by 5.3 per cent to 9.578 crore bags as compared to 9.094 crore bags.