Scarcity of robusta coffee tips Brazil''s exports in October

Green coffee exports from Brazil in October reached 2,890,000 sacks, with 9.8% drop compared with the same month of 2015, according to strong retreat of grain shipments of the robust variety, after crop failure for climate problems, reported on Wednesday (9) the Council of Brazil''s coffee Exporters (Cecafé).
Arabica exports already amounted to 2,880,000 bags last month, up 1.3% compared to the previous year, reaching the highest volume for a month of October since 2010.
In the case of robusta coffee, there was a 97% drop compared with the same month of 2015, for only 9800 sacks.
"It is interesting to note that there was a very weak performance in the robusta coffee, reflecting the drought in the Holy Spirit, which crippled production. However, the Arabic more than made up for this scenario, being the biggest volume exported in the last five years, if it is taken into account the month of October, "said the President of the Cecafé, Nelson Carvalhaes, in a note.
"Since 2010 embarcávamos not so many sacks of Arabica in the month of October," he added.
In the months before a strike by Customs at the port of Santos, Brazil''s main coffee exporter, has damaged the collection of data that make up the statistics of the Cecafé, leading the organisation to disclose partial data.
For October, however, "the correct processing of the data was possible," said the Cecafé.
Despite the lower volume shipped, revenues from exports of all kinds (including industrialized) rose 2.4% in October, to $551 million, compared with the same month of 2015.
The recovery was possible due to a 12.2% in the average price of coffee in the same period, amid the biggest shipments of Arabica coffee, more expensive than the robusta.