Indonesia has recently been hit by prolonged severe weather, with landslides and floods triggered by heavy rainfall having caused dozens of casualties, and multiple provinces entering a disaster alert status. This natural disaster not only threatens the safety of local residents but also affects the country's coffee industry—major growing regions such as Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Papua are coinciding with the harvest season, and torrential rain will hinder harvest progress and cause cherries to drop, with output expected to decline. Combined with factors such as the depreciation of the Indonesian rupiah and reduced coffee production in Vietnam, international robusta prices are expected to remain high in the short term. [more…]

Colombia's coffee production and exports both achieved double-digit growth in the first 10 months of this year, and the FNC at one point forecast that full-year production could reach 13 million bags. However, the country has recently been hit by extreme weather in many places—heavy rain in the capital Bogotá and surrounding areas triggered floods and landslides, and a volcanic eruption occurred in Antioquia Department, prompting the government to declare a state of disaster. This comes during the coffee tree fruiting period, and excessive rainfall may cause cherries to drop and delay harvesting, thereby affecting output and supply. At the same time, the U.S. C-price coffee futures price has once again surged to 272.03 cents per pound, and market concerns about supply in the new crop season have clearly intensified. [more…]

Central and southern Brazil recently experienced heavy rainfall, with southern Mato Grosso and São Paulo state severely affected, impacting both transportation and power supply. Meanwhile, rainfall in Minas Gerais remains below the historical average, and the worst drought and wildfires in nearly 70 years have already caused deep damage to coffee cultivation. Although concentrated flowering occurred in October, whether the flowers will develop into fruit remains to be seen in December. Multiple institutions expect coffee production in the most severely affected areas to decline by 20% to 30%, with the potential of both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 crop years affected. [more…]

Several major coffee-producing regions in southeastern Brazil were recently hit by severe storms formed by the collision of strong cold fronts and high temperatures. São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro were all affected, with rainfall in some areas exceeding 100 mm per day and wind speeds reaching up to 100 km/h. Together, these regions account for 48% of Brazil's total national coffee output, and as the coffee berries are currently in their fruit-setting stage, the storms and heavy rain caused large numbers of cherries to drop. Industry insiders are calling on coffee farmers to strengthen precautions. At the same time, the heavy rain has caused at least 24 deaths and displaced thousands of people, while the dengue fever outbreak continues to spread, putting pressure on the healthcare system and raising the risk of labor shortages during the harvest period. Front Street Coffee will continue to follow developments in Brazil's producing regions and bring coffee lovers the latest information. [more…]

Tanzania is located in the eastern part of Africa and has rich natural resources and a unique coffee culture. However, recently, the country of Tanzania has suffered from heavy rainfall and floods, causing casualties and large-scale damage. Local tim [more…]

Several states in southern Brazil have recently been hit by severe storms and heavy rain, with São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states particularly hard hit, causing casualties and widespread power outages. This coincides with the flowering season for Brazilian coffee trees, and excessive rainfall and flooding could wash out farmland and knock coffee flowers off the trees, threatening production for the new season. At the same time, disrupted rainfall patterns in Minas Gerais are making the planting situation even more severe. The storms have also affected logistics and transportation, worsening ship delays at ports. The market is worried that a reduction in Brazilian coffee production will persist, and prices may remain high or even rise further. This article will review the impact of the disaster and the subsequent trajectory of the coffee industry. [more…]

Recently, multiple East African countries have been hit by sustained heavy rainfall, with major coffee-producing areas in central Kenya such as Nyeri, Nakuru, and Kiambu suffering severe damage. Floods, mudslides, and other disasters have caused significant casualties and property losses, and as coffee is currently in its flowering and fruiting stage, the next harvest season is expected to be severely affected. Meanwhile, Kenyan coffee auction prices have already hit record highs, and prices may climb further in the future. The Kenyan government has allocated 4 billion shillings for disaster relief. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya has also issued a reminder, calling for attention to weather changes and flood prevention and disease control. Stay tuned to the disaster situation in coffee-producing areas; Front Street Coffee will continue to follow up with reports. [more…]

Recently, northern Sumatra in Indonesia has experienced continuous heavy rainfall, triggering secondary disasters such as flash floods and landslides in multiple areas of North Sumatra Province, resulting in 20 deaths and multiple injuries so far. This disaster has not only caused severe damage to local infrastructure including houses, schools, and roads, but has also directly affected the Arabica coffee-growing belt in the Lintong region of central Sumatra—the area where the world-renowned Mandheling coffee is produced. Meanwhile, Deli Serdang Regency, an important commodity transport corridor leading to the Medan seaport, has also been damaged by landslides, disrupting import and export operations. As the Arabica harvest season is currently underway, days of heavy rain may cause ripe cherries to drop and yields to decline, with the market generally holding a cautious attitude toward the supply outlook for the new harvest season. [more…]

During the May Day holiday, Guangdong was hit by severe convective weather, and the site of the Shenzhen coffee festival descended into chaos under the onslaught of torrential rain. Leaking canopies over temporary stalls, sudden power outages on site, and yellow sewage gushing from drainage outlets—a triple blow that caught vendors and visitors off guard. Although the organizers and the mall carried out emergency repairs afterward, the incident still exposed the shortcomings of outdoor events in responding to extreme weather. This article reconstructs the course of events and brings the latest news on compensation for the event's postponement. For friends who love coffee culture, Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow such industry developments and bring more on-site reports. [more…]

Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology recently issued storm and heavy rain danger warnings for seven states, including Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Paraná, with expected rainfall of 50 to 100 millimeters per day and accompanied by strong winds of 60 to 100 kilometers per hour. Rainfall in northern São Paulo state has already accumulated to 90 millimeters, with local areas reaching up to 100 millimeters, and the risk of landslides and flooding has prompted the warning center to issue a yellow alert. Although no serious economic losses have been reported so far, the market is widely concerned that this round of severe weather will once again impact Brazil's new coffee crop production. The severe drought and forest fires from April to September had already damaged coffee trees during the flowering stage, leading many institutions to lower production forecasts and drive up coffee prices. This article will review key information such as Brazil's recent weather conditions, coffee futures trends, exchange rate impacts, and traders' credit risks. [more…]

Since October, Panama has entered its rainy season, but this year, under the influence of Tropical Storm Rafael, torrential rain and strong winds have been unusually severe, triggering multiple landslides and floods, with Chiriquí Province and other areas hit hard. Boquete, the core production area for Panama's specialty coffee, has not been spared either, with roads damaged, water supplies cut off, and coffee transportation blocked. Even more concerning is that the coffee harvest season is approaching in December, and continued heavy rain could damage coffee trees that are currently bearing fruit, further affecting quality and yield. This article will review the progress of the disaster and its potential impact on the coffee industry. [more…]

Recently, a coffee festival held on the grassy grounds of Lujiazui in Shanghai was hit by a sudden heavy rain, plunging what was originally a lively autumn event into a sorry mess. The rain turned the lawn into mud, some stalls leaked and lost power, and visitors struggled through the wet, slippery mud, greatly diminishing the experience. Although weather forecasts had already warned of rain over the weekend, the organizers appeared to have made inadequate preparations, sparking dissatisfaction among many participants. Still, some optimistic coffee lovers found a different kind of fun in it, even joking that they got to drink coffee with a "built-in washed flavor." Below is a detailed report on the incident. [more…]

Recently, many parts of Asia have been hit by extreme weather, with Indonesia bearing the brunt. Torrential rain, floods, volcanic eruptions, and landslides have struck one after another, dealing a heavy blow to multiple industries in the country, and the coffee industry has been unable to escape unscathed. After West Java and Sumatra were successively affected, South Sulawesi Province was also hit by heavy rainfall, with severe losses in regencies such as Luwu, Soppeng, and Sidrap, where roads and bridges were destroyed and farmland was flooded. This disaster mainly struck the country's Robusta coffee-producing areas, and as it coincides with the harvest season, industry insiders expect output on some islands to decline by 20%, while the country's total production may be halved. A tightening of Robusta supply could further push up international coffee prices. [more…]

Central Vietnam experienced strong winds and heavy rain after Typhoon Trami made landfall, damaging dikes, houses, farmland, and transportation and logistics infrastructure—just as the new coffee harvest season was getting underway. Looking back over the year, Vietnam's coffee industry first endured its worst drought in nearly a decade, then was hit by two typhoons in succession, Typhoon Yagi and Typhoon Trami, with the main producing areas in the Central Highlands also experiencing strong winds and heavy rain. Delayed harvesting, blocked roads, and closed ports combined to make new-crop supply even tighter; yet despite lower export volumes, export value hit a record high on rising prices. This article reviews the disaster impact, production and export data, and looks at price trends going forward. [more…]

The latest meteorological forecasts indicate that the El Niño condition is expected to come to an end around April 2024. After a brief neutral phase, La Niña may form between June and August and persist through the second half of the year. Previously, El Niño brought extreme weather such as heavy rain, drought, and high temperatures to coffee-growing regions in Brazil, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other places, causing reduced production and driving up international coffee prices. As La Niña takes over, southeastern Brazil may face reduced rainfall and the risk of frost, while Indonesia may experience heavy rainfall and even floods, and the coffee berry harvest may be hit again. Front Street Coffee will also continue to monitor the impact of climate change in producing regions on the coffee supply chain. [more…]

From late March to around Qingming, Guangdong often enters a mode of continuous rainfall. The weather forecast says it will rain, yet it occasionally clears up when you go out, making it hard to decide whether to bring an umbrella. There is an interesting little experiment circulating among the public: brew a cup of hot coffee, drop in a sugar cube, do not stir, and observe where the bubbles gather; this can roughly tell whether it will clear up or rain in the short term. This saying originates from the British writer Matthew Cole's *A Cup of Coffee Tells the Weather*, and it is actually related to the surface tension formed by coffee oils and the weather changes under the control of high and low atmospheric pressure. Of course, not all coffees are suitable; instant coffee and pour-over are not ideal choices. Freshly ground and freshly made hot Americano is more suitable, and the sugar should be sugar cubes rather than ordinary granulated sugar. [more…]

Southern regions have recently been hit by continuous heavy rain, with severe waterlogging on roads in cities like Changsha and Wuhan, making travel difficult for residents and causing significant disruption to street-side shops. In such weather, a cup of coffee is a small comfort that keeps office workers energized and going, yet many customers who chose to pick up their orders at Luckin Coffee stores found that the paper takeaway bags were extremely flimsy in the rain, with the coffee spilling into the rain before they could even take a sip. Complaints and grievances about torn paper bags have been flooding social media, with consumers calling on the brand to improve its packaging, while store staff are equally miserable. This article examines the reasons behind this phenomenon and the voices from all sides. [more…]

Indonesia is a major global coffee producer, with coffee cultivation mainly distributed across islands such as Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and Bali. However, the country has recently experienced persistent severe weather, and floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain have dealt a serious blow to multiple coffee-producing regions. The Bandung area on Java Island, the island's largest coffee-producing region, has already seen casualties and extensive housing damage; nine regions in western Sumatra have been especially hard hit, and with Robusta coffee at the pre-fruiting and early harvesting stage, losses have been severe. According to estimates by local producers, output on some islands will fall by 20%, and the country's total production may be halved. At the same time, the Indonesian government has designated coffee as a national priority industry and significantly increased fertilizer subsidies in an attempt to ease the impact of the disaster on agriculture. This article will review the specific effects of the disaster on Indonesia's coffee industry and related policy trends. [more…]

Mexico's major western coffee-producing regions were recently hit by Tropical Storm Carlotta, with heavy rainfall, lightning, and hail posing a serious threat to coffee trees in their flowering stage. The states of Colima, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Nayarit produce about 15% of Mexico's coffee output, and roughly 80% of the country's coffee-growing area had already been affected by high temperatures and drought. Industry insiders expect yield losses could reach 50%. After the storm, neighboring states such as Oaxaca and Chiapas also face risks of flooding and landslides. Meanwhile, Mexico is striving to boost its coffee industry, with a production target of 3.89 million bags for the 2024/25 season, but a succession of extreme weather events has cast a shadow over this vision. [more…]

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has long been regarded as a treasure of the coffee world, winning the favor of countless enthusiasts with its scarce production and outstanding flavor. However, Jamaica's main coffee-growing regions have recently suffered multiple blows including heavy rains and earthquakes, with frequent mudslides and landslides, causing the new season's coffee bean production to be expected to decline by about 25% compared with the same period last year. Facing this severe situation, the Jamaican government has announced that it will invest billions of dollars to launch a crop recovery and establishment plan, aiming to revive the production of Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffee varieties within five years, benefiting more than 5,000 coffee growers. This article will sort out the causes of this production reduction, its impact, and the specific contents of the official revival measures. [more…]