Panama to Import Coffee for Domestic Market

News from Panama / Friday, March 25th, 2011
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I could not believe that I would ever see this happening but as reported in CentralAmercaDat.com: 
Due to poor yields during harvest the country must import about 6 million quintals of coffee in order to supply demand from the local market.  The purchase will be made through Bolsa Nacional de Productos (Baisa), arriving the country in late April.

“Faced with decline in coffee production, on March 20th, coffee growers and agricultural authorities will meet in Boquete, Chiriqui Province, to define a future strategy for the coffee industry,” reported Prensa.com.

I had heard that many of the plantations here in Boquete had sold out their entire production for the year and that there may be a problem of supply vs demand next year as well.
For information about coffee plantations here in Boquete drop me line at tbrymer@brymerpa.com or call me at 305-448-1003 
 
   
 

About 6000 quintals of coffee should enter the country between 30 April and early May 2011 to supply the local market.

The low crop yields due to fungus attack “cock’s eye” and climatic variations, and leakage of raw materials to Costa Rica have been the cause of the shortage of grain in the country.

It is the first time that needs to import the grain, which marks a historical precedent in the country, said Emilio Kieswetter, Minister of Agricultural Development.

After conducting a field inventory was decided to import grain in order to supply local consumption. Costa Rica were sent to more than 15 thousand quintals of grain, which combined with low yields are missing is registered in the country said Kieswetter.

The purchase of grain to be imported will be done through the National Stock Products (Baisa) and in the coming days will be making the call.

This Sunday, March 20 growers and agricultural officials will meet in Boquete, Chiriqui Province, to define the strategy for taking forward the coffee sector.

One measure is the introduction of 13 new varieties of grain that are more resistant to pests and fungi. These seeds, which should be in the country in late April from the Tropical Agriculture Research and Education (CATIE) in Costa Rica.

During the 2010-2011 crop season in the country grew about 19 thousand 600 hectares of coffee. Production was reduced by 40% due to climate changes and to pests and fungi.

Estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture this year closed with a 40 million pounds of coffee less than before.

One of the most productive areas affected was the Renaissance in the province of Chiriqui. This year about 60 million pounds harvested grain in the 2008-2009 season when the figure reached 85 thousand quintals, said Ernesto Ameth Lezcano, president of the Producers Guild of Renaissance.

Chiriqui is the main producer of grain in the country. 70% of this production is sold in the local market and the remaining 30% is exported to the United States, Europe and Japan. This is followed Cocle Province, Veraguas, Columbus and Capira (Panama).

The price per quintal of grain is sold between 250 and 275 dollars, about $ 110 more than last season.