SAN JOSE: Costa Rican coffee exports fell 55 percent to 14,321 60-kg bags in October, the first month of the season, after a tropical storm hit infrastructure and crops, national coffee institute ICAFE said on Monday.
Last month, Tropical Storm Nate killed 14 people in the Central American nation and left thousands without homes in what the government said was the worst natural disaster in decades.
Torrential rains hit thousands of hectares of crops in the country as well as bridges and highways leaving agricultural areas without access for days.
Costa Rica, known for its high quality beans, exported 1.11 million bags during the 2016/2017 harvesting season, down 10.5 percent from the previous cycle.
The coffee season in Central America and Mexico, which together produce about a fifth of the world’s arabica beans, runs from October through September.
Source: Brecorder.com
