World coffee exports up 16%

This level of exports during the first nine months of coffee year 2010-11 is the highest ever recorded, the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said in its monthly report.

Exports from India rose by 71 per cent to 4.9 million bags in the October-June period of the 2010-11 coffee year from 2.8 million bags in the same period of the 2009-10 coffee year.

Another Asian nation,Vietnam,recorded the export of 13.8 million bags during the October-June period of the 2010-11 coffee year,as against 11.3 million bags in the corresponding period of the previous coffee year,it added.

Shipments from Brazil,the world’s biggest exporter,rose to 26.4 million bags in the October,2010-June,2011,period,compared to 22.34 million bags in the year-ago period,the ICO said.

Coffee exports from Colombia another major exporter increased to 6.7 million bags in the period under review from 5.4 million bags in the previous coffee year.

The ICO indicated that rising consumption of the brew would encourage strong export performance in most of the exporting countries.

Although retail prices have increased in many importing countries,consumption remains buoyant,encouraging strong export performance in most exporting countries, it noted.

Global coffee consumption was estimated to rise by 2.4 per cent to 134 million bags of 60 kg each in 2010 from 131.3 million bags in 2009,the ICO said.

Domestic consumption in exporting countries was estimated at 40.4 million bags in 2010,representing 30 per cent of the world’s consumption,while consumption in importing countries totalled 93.6 million bags,it said.

The buoyancy of world consumption is a determining factor in the maintenance of a balance between supply and demand, the ICO added.