(PatriotPostNews.com) — Vietnam is experiencing the most severe heat wave in nearly a decade. The heat is expected to affect coffee beans, and Vietnam is the second largest producer of beans in the world.
Crop failures in the Central Highlands region could significantly affect the cost of coffee in the United States. Current forecasts show no signs of relief for the troubled farmers. The coffee bean that is likely to be the most affected by potential price increases is the Robusta bean. Vietnam is the second-largest producer of coffee beans but the largest producer of the Robusta bean. Robusta beans reached record prices earlier in 2024.
Overall bean output could be reduced by as much as 16% by the fall of 2024. Though the heat has not relented, rain has returned to the region, though it may be too little, too late. Further hampering production, many farmers are switching over to the more profitable Durian fruit.
Farmers in the region largely prefer younger bean trees, but these trees are more susceptible to droughts and extreme weather due to their shallow root systems.
One farmer, Nguyen Huu Long, allowed his bean trees to age naturally. His trees are doing remarkably well, which he attributed to the deeper root system. Another farmer in Gia Lia Province, Tran Thi Huong, said that she was allowed to take advantage of a local canal to save her crop. She said the heat has made the coffee cherries smaller, but that she does not expect her output to be reduced.
Though Long and Huong’s farms are succeeding, Vietnam’s overall production is expected to decrease by 10 to 16%. Inflation has only raised coffee by 1.6% across the European Union. However, coffee prices have already dramatically risen in 2024 from $3,849 per ton to $3,769 per ton. Vietnamese coffee farmers are able to stockpile beans from previous harvests, which may keep prices from soaring even higher.
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