The Colombian government on Tuesday showed optimism regarding the situation of the country`s coffee producers whose sector has been under economic pressure.
While talking on national radio, President Juan Manuel Santos said that the sector has mostly been pressured by the ongoing appreciation of the Colombian peso, but that his government is doing everything possible to curb the increasingly expensive peso.
“We are doing everything possible with the central bank so that the appreciation doesn’t continue to hit us and we can, trough a devaluation, see higher earnings,” the president said.
Agricultural Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo told Caracol Radio that, despite the expensive peso, the situation of coffee growers is looking better than last year when rainy weather and diseases caused a drop in production.
“Thanks to the good weather we’ve been having all forecasts show that we will see a recovery,” said the minister, adding that coffee production could go up to 9 million bags this year.