Costa Rican coffee exports surged 72.4% in August compared with the same month last year, the national coffee institute ICAFE said on Tuesday, citing a jump in production and growing demand by coffee drinkers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Costa Rica, one of Central America’s smaller producers but known for its high-quality beans, shipped 98,343 60-kilo bags in the last month, up from 57,055 60-kg bags in August last year.
The jump in exports represents the highest year-on-year increase in at least three years.
Xinia Chaves, director of ICAFE, said farmers were hiking production and international buyers were making advance shipments.
“There is enthusiasm,” she told Reuters. “We believe that buyers are low in inventories of fine coffees and that people are drinking more coffee during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
On top of the demand for the Costa Rican arabica bean, the country has benefited from an 11.5% increase in the current 2019/20 harvest compared to the previous one.
For the next production, which runs from October to September, an increase of 8.2% is expected, as a result of the renewal of coffee plantations and better weather conditions.
