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COFFEE on the Rebound
Guatemala’s coffee industry is seeing a slight recovery after a three-year-long fungal epidemic. The industry’s
rebound is due to government and NGO support, which has changed the way crops are cared for and managed.
Guatemalan farmers who tend to their crops year- round with an intense approach that includes pest management, disease prevention, and systematic pruning are less likely to be affected by coffee leaf rust.
Mineral-rich soils and diverse topography have allowed Gua- temala to emerge as an artisan coffee producer. The country’s heavy forest and tropical climate help coffee beans develop robust flavor profiles that coffee aficionados enjoy.
Guatemala is home to eight growing regions, and coffee pro- duction makes up a substantial part of the nation’s GDP. Despite the rust leaf crisis of the last few years, Guatemala still ranks tenth as a top coffee-producing country. The United States imports about 43 percent of the nation’s coffee, with Japan and Canada importing 14 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
A MARKET IN RECOVERY
The coffee industry has historically consumed a planted area of 280,000 hectares, which is about 2.5 percent of the country’s total area. Since the coffee rust outbreak, coffee’s planted area has expanded to 305,000 hectares. This industry contributes to 450,000 jobs in Guatemala, 150,000 of which are full-time.
Three years of coffee leaf rust greatly affected coffee pro- duction, particularly in the lowlands. This outbreak reduced coffee production some 20 to 25 percent when compared to the 2011–2012 harvest year. Farmers are now recovering after tak- ing drastic measures to combat leaf rust. In fact, coffee produc-
tion for the 2014–2015 harvest year is 3 percent higher than the year before. Overcoming coffee rust, an invasive fungal disease, involved moving away from Arabica varieties by planting Ro- busta and Timor hybrids in lowland regions. Robusta and Timor tolerate humid conditions much better than Arabica, but coffee rust will always be a concern in a humid climate. Arabica crops still make up the majority of coffee bean plants—especially in the highlands.
While the careful actions of farmers have been the main weap- ons against rust, the Guatemalan government and non-gov- ernmental organizations (NGOs) offered support, too, through donations and surveillance efforts, which helped manage the crisis with widespread fumigating, replanting, and pruning. Forecasters predict that these measures and continued vigilance will help the coffee industry recover at a 3 to 5 percent growth rate each year.
Since rust will be an ongoing concern, market analysts believe that coffee producers must remain alert to the requirements of pest and disease control. Public and privately funded agricul- tural education services along with financial support will help producers manage disease and increase productivity at the farm level.
SPECIAL REPORT
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