Coffee production in Colombia is up 44% in the first two months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, reports Caracol Radio.
The manager of the Federation of Coffee Growers, Luis Genaro Muñoz, confirmed that a total of 1.7 million 60 kg (132 lb) sacks have been produced in January and February this year as opposed to 1.2 million in those months last year.
February saw the production of 764,000 sacks of coffee beans.
Muñoz said, “The results so far reflect the commitment of the growers to their businesses and the positioning of the product in international markets where buyers are willing to pay more for the quality of Colombian coffee.”
Exports in February were also up on the same period last year with 659,000 exported, compared to 590,000 in that month of 2009.
So far coffee producers have resisted the adverse effects of the heavy rainfall in the second half of 2010 despite Muñoz’s warnings at the beginning of the year that production would likely fall. This is due to the favorable weather conditions in the first months of the year, a key period of growth for coffee crops.