Colombia predicts pest control in coffee production

The pest control of coffee rust and coffee plantations renewal program will allow a steady growth of beans production in Colombia in 2014, said on Wednesday Juan Esteban Orduz, president of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia.
"The problem of coffee rust is under control, thanks in part to the production of varieties resistant to this fungus and renovation program coffee plantations", said Juan Orduz who participates in Belo Horizonte meeting of the 50th anniversary of the International Coffee Organization (ICO).
Colombia provides coffee production for 2013 of about ten million bags (60 kg) and wants to increase that amount in the coming years.
For Juan Orduz, the main problem facing the country is now the fall of bean prices, which in the case of Colombia was approximately 50% in the past two years.
This reduction in prices, along with rising costs, growers left in a situation "tight", which provoked strikes as pushed by the agricultural sector in Colombia in August. "Farmers are right", said Juan Orduz, one of the delegates of Colombia at ICO, who also commented on the remarks made on Monday by the Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Fernando Pimentel, on the possibility of allowing import of coffee from other countries, such as Colombia, to improve their roasting blends. "If Brazil will make a consistent program of importing beans to improve quality blend of coffee that produces and consumes, the more stable partner is Colombia. If this is what Brazil proposes, we are ready to sell whatever they want", said.
The president of Coffee Growers of Colombia recalled that the country is the largest producer of mild washed Arabica coffee and ensured that the country is able to provide all year round " fresh coffee, high quality and consistent."
Colombia bases its coffee production on "quality" and "differentiation", so it feels important that growers go through a certification process of coffee to get a better price on the market.
Of the 560.000 coffee growers in Colombia today more than 150.000 have some kind of certification, appreciated Juan Orduz.
Source: Exame Abril