Brazil's 2024/25 coffee harvest is imminent, but sales progress is notably lagging behind previous years. Data from consultancy Safras&Mercado shows that as of March 12, only 11% of the new crop had been sold, far below the historical average of 25% for the same period. Among this, Arabica sold 14% (historical 30%), and Robusta only 6% (historical 15%). The slow sales are mainly due to high Robusta prices suppressing trader purchases, the spread between forward and spot prices prompting farmers to hold back sales, and the potential arrival of La Niña after El Niño ends, which could bring reduced rainfall and frost threats to the coffee-growing regions in the southeast. Meanwhile, reduced production in Vietnam and Indonesia is driving strong exports of Brazilian Robusta. [more…]

Recently, Brazil's coffee exports have shown strong performance, but extreme weather and a dengue fever outbreak are casting a shadow over the upcoming crop season. In Minas Gerais, the main Arabica-producing region, rainfall has been only 16% of the historical average, and drought is threatening production. Meanwhile, dengue fever cases have surged past 1.8 million, with multiple coffee-growing regions entering a health emergency, which could lead to a shortage of harvest labor. In addition, the probability of La Niña has risen to 62%, potentially bringing frost disasters. Although coffee sales for the 2023/24 season are progressing well, pre-sales for the 2024/25 season are slow, at only 11%, far below the same period last year. Coffee farmers are strongly reluctant to sell, and the market's wait-and-see atmosphere has intensified. Front Street Coffee reminds enthusiasts to pay attention to developments in the producing regions and to view price fluctuations rationally. [more…]

During the G20 summit in Brazil, Luckin Coffee signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency, planning to purchase a cumulative 240,000 tons of Brazilian coffee beans between 2025 and 2029, with a total value of 10 billion RMB, setting Luckin's largest procurement record. At the same time, Brazil's coffee industry is facing production uncertainty brought by extreme weather: although the current sales pace has accelerated and exports have hit a record high, drought and fires have already damaged the new crop season, multiple institutions have lowered production expectations, and international coffee futures prices have continued to climb. This article will outline the key points of the agreement, Brazil's sales dynamics, and the impact of weather on the supply and demand landscape. [more…]

The latest report from Brazilian consultancy Safras shows that as of December 11, 79% of Brazil's 2024/25 coffee crop had been sold, but pre-sales for the 2025/26 crop stood at only 12%, far below the same period in previous years. Hit by drought, forest fires and irregular rainfall, growers are deeply worried about the next season and are holding back on selling. Combined with a plunge of more than 20% in the Brazilian real, domestic Brazilian coffee spot prices have broken the highest record in 26 years. Several institutions warn that international coffee prices will remain high until production becomes clear. To learn more origin news, scan the QR code to follow Coffee Review. [more…]

Brazil's new coffee crop harvest is progressing faster than in previous years, and the dry weather is both beneficial for processing and a cause for concern. However, sales progress is noticeably lagging, ports remain congested, and the government's earlier proposed changes to PIS/Cofins tax rules have further weighed on exports and farmers' willingness to sell. At the same time, the sharp appreciation of the US dollar against the real has brought inflationary pressure. The good news is that Brazil's Congress recently rejected the tax measure, allowing coffee and other agricultural products to continue enjoying tax benefits, and the slowdown in sales is expected to improve. This article will review the latest developments in harvesting, sales, ports, and policy, and include relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The latest statement from the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (Vicofa) indicates that Vietnamese coffee prices are highly likely to continue their upward trend in 2024, with the core driver still being severely tight supply. Current spot quotes for robusta have risen to 67,200-68,000 Vietnamese dong/kg, up 900-1,000 dong from last week and about 8,000 dong higher cumulatively since early December. The new crop season opened in November at a record high of 60,000 dong/kg, with traders rushing to buy early out of fear of repeating last year's June predicament of having no beans to purchase, while coffee farmers, expecting further price increases, are holding back sales, leading to fulfillment difficulties and a distorted export structure. El Niño continues to intensify, and robusta-producing regions in Brazil and Indonesia are expected to see lower output, further reinforcing the logic of rising prices—something coffee industry professionals and enthusiasts should closely watch. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's previously launched Huakui 5.0 SOE sparked widespread discussion in the market, with话题 ranging from its low-price strategy to insufficient stock and repeated sellouts. Now Luckin plans to launch the Huakui PLUS series SOE in the second half of the year, with purchases reportedly set to exceed 250 tons, aiming to become the world's largest buyer of Huakui PLUS green beans. So what exactly is Huakui PLUS? How does it differ from Huakui 5.0 and Huakui 6.0? This article will review the sales history and purchasing details of Luckin's Huakui SOE, and take a deep dive into this natural-process heirloom variety from the Buku Abel washing station in Sidamo—the coffee bean named "Huakui Queen" by domestic green bean traders. [more…]

According to the latest data from the Brazil Coffee Exporters Council, Brazil's coffee exports reached 4.662 million bags in November, up 5.4% year-on-year, while export revenue surged 62.7% due to rising international prices. Cumulative exports in the first 11 months of this year have set a new historical record, but fell month-on-month, as producers slowed sales amid higher futures, exchange rate fluctuations and uncertainty over the new crop season. At the same time, port logistics bottlenecks and an indefinite strike by customs auditors from the Federal Revenue Service are bringing additional costs and delay risks to the export chain. With both Brazil and Vietnam troubled by drought and global supply tightening, Arabica and Robusta futures continue to climb, and coffee prices are expected to remain high in the short term. Follow origin developments, and Front Street Coffee will continue to bring frontline news. [more…]

Recently, global coffee market prices have remained high, with major producing regions such as Brazil and Vietnam successively encountering climate and market problems, compounded by the Red Sea shipping crisis, greatly increasing the operating pressure on traders. Below-average rainfall in Brazil has pushed arabica prices higher, but production estimates have been revised upward; Vietnamese coffee farmers are reluctant to sell and contract defaults are occurring frequently, and combined with expectations of El Niño drought, new-crop output may decline. At the same time, NKG, the world's largest green coffee trader, announced that it is expanding import, warehousing and distribution operations in Indonesia, targeting the country's rapidly growing consumer market and hoping to reduce shipping costs and time through regional trade in Asia. [more…]

Recently, the Brazilian coffee industry has come under multiple pressures: August exports fell 27% year-on-year, transportation bottlenecks have left large quantities of goods stranded at ports, and industry losses have reached as high as US$500 million. At the same time, global coffee prices have surged by nearly 50%, intensifying market volatility. Brazil has already sold 60% of this year's crop, but Arabica growth has slowed. On the weather front, the southern producing regions have received rainfall, which may affect the subsequent harvest. This article summarizes the latest producing-region news, covering exports, sales, climate, and Front Street Coffee-related developments, providing coffee lovers with a comprehensive interpretation. [more…]

Although coffee prices have recently retreated slightly from their highs, insufficient rainfall in Brazil's producing regions and continuously soaring domestic prices in Vietnam have cast a dark cloud over the supply side of the global coffee market. A combination of factors—Vietnamese coffee farmers holding back sales, traders struggling to fulfill contracts, and disruptions to Red Sea shipping—has pushed robusta coffee prices to a new record high. Meanwhile, Brazil's robusta exports have surged, and production expectations for the new crop season are optimistic, which may bring a glimmer of hope to the tight market supply. This article will sort through the key data and events behind coffee price fluctuations and assess the market outlook. [more…]

Recently, Arabica futures have continued to climb, hitting a 13-year high, with Robusta futures closely following, with prices approaching the $5,000 per ton mark. Behind this rally, the reduced coffee output in Vietnam has become a market focus. Although Vietnam's coffee export revenue hit a record high in the 2023/24 season, uncertainty brought by drought, typhoons, and the EU's zero-deforestation regulation is casting a shadow over this globally important Robusta-producing region. This article will review the current state of Vietnam's coffee production and sales, the impact of weather, and the main risks it faces in the future. [more…]

Recently, international coffee futures prices have continued to rise, with Robusta hitting its highest record since October 1994, and spot prices in Vietnam and Brazil soaring in tandem. Spurred by these prices, Brazilian growers have been actively selling off inventory and pre-selling beans from the new crop, with March exports reaching 4.293 million bags, a year-on-year increase of 37.8%. Among these, Robusta exports surged nearly sixfold, becoming the biggest highlight, driven mainly by reduced production in Asian origins and a surge in imports from Mexico. However, the delay rate at the Port of Santos, reaching as high as 80%, along with labor shortages caused by the dengue fever outbreak, still brings uncertainty to subsequent exports. [more…]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was once hailed as Africa's breadbasket, endowed with vast tracts of arable land, and coffee once held an important place in the country's economy. However, the shadow of colonial rule and successive waves of political turmoil severely constrained the development of the coffee industry. From coffee leaf rust propelling it to become a cash crop, to the sharp decline in production after the civil war, farmers risking cross-border bean sales, and now the gradual rebuilding in peacetime, the DRC's coffee industry has traversed an extraordinarily rugged path. This article will take you through this little-known history, as well as the opportunities and challenges currently facing the country's coffee industry. [more…]

Tanzania is an important specialty coffee-producing country in East Africa, and its Chagga AAA-grade coffee is known for its plump beans and rich aroma. This article focuses on the Chagga AAA produced in the Ruvuma region, analyzing its performance from emerald-green raw beans to the flavor in the cup. The article reviews the historical changes, grading system, and sales model of Tanzania's coffee industry, and provides a detailed record of Front Street Coffee's three-stage brewing analysis and flavor description of this bean. Whether it is the apple and grape fruitiness with the tartness of hawthorn and plum under a light roast, or the dark chocolate and caramel sweetness after a heavy roast, both point to a common impression—prominent sweetness, mild acidity, and a smooth mouthfeel. It is suitable as a reference for enthusiasts who are just beginning to explore acidic coffee. [more…]

Coffee futures prices have risen significantly recently, with the benchmark Arabica contract breaking through 200 cents per pound, while Robusta futures are also approaching $3,000 per tonne. Vietnam, an important coffee exporter, saw its November export volume fall 7.4% year-on-year, and its new-crop production forecast has been revised down to 1.6 to 1.7 million tonnes. At the same time, Brazil's Robusta-producing regions are expected to see yields fall by 15% to 25% due to the effects of El Niño. Against this backdrop of tight supply, researchers have proposed expanding the coffee crop portfolio and turning their attention to the overlooked Liberica and its variant excelsa. Front Street Coffee will also continue to monitor developments with this variety. [more…]

Green coffee beans are the starting point that determines the flavor of a cup of coffee. From color and luster to moisture content, every detail reveals the quality code of green beans; the terms "new crop," "current crop," "old crop," and "aged crop," named by harvest year, record how time shapes flavor. During transoceanic shipping, temperature and packaging methods also influence the fate of green beans—low-temperature containers, temperature-controlled storage, and vacuum aluminum foil bags are all effective means of extending good flavor. The ultimate preservation challenge points to a simple yet expensive answer: vacuum packaging followed by freezing. This article systematically organizes the complete knowledge of green beans from identification to storage, and includes practical advice from Front Street Coffee, taking you deeper into understanding this green seed. [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee is widely recognized as one of the world's finest coffees, and Jamaica's unique climate, geology, and topography provide it with exceptional growing conditions. The Blue Mountains stretch across the eastern part of the island nation, with elevations exceeding 2,100 meters. The cool, damp, and foggy environment, combined with terraced mixed-cropping, allows coffee trees to grow alongside bananas and avocados. However, the Jamaican coffee industry faces challenges such as hurricanes, labor costs, and difficulties with mechanization, and ninety percent of Blue Mountain coffee is preferentially purchased by Japan, leaving the international market chronically undersupplied. Only coffee from the four regions of Saint Andrew, Portland, Saint Thomas, and Saint Mary, certified by the CIB, and grown above 2,000 feet may be labeled "Jamaica Blue Mountain." The oldest estate, Wallenford Estate, as a wholly state-owned enterprise, participates in cultivation, processing, and sales throughout the entire chain, and has profoundly influenced Jamaica's national coffee standards. Front Street Coffee has always followed this legendary producing region. [more…]

The latest report from the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (CECAFÉ) shows that Brazil's coffee exports got off to a strong start in January, with exports of 60-kg bags reaching 3.961 million bags, up 39% year-on-year, while foreign exchange revenue rose 30.4% in tandem to US$802.5 million. Robusta exports surged 503.5%, becoming the main growth engine, while Arabica and instant coffee also maintained stable shares. Despite ongoing logistics challenges such as the Red Sea shipping crisis, drought in the Panama Canal, and strikes at Brazil's Santos port, Brazil's coffee exports still showed resilience. Notably, major Robusta-producing countries such as Vietnam experienced supply gaps due to drought and delivery issues, creating substitution opportunities for Brazil. International investment bank Itaú BBA predicts that Brazil's coffee production in the 2024/25 season is expected to reach 69.4 million bags, up 4.6% from the previous year. Front Street Coffee will also continue to monitor Brazil coffee market trends and bring fresh information to enthusiasts. [more…]

The dual impact of persistent drought and uneven rainfall distribution has cast a shadow over the global robusta coffee supply outlook. In Vietnam's Dak Lak province, about 40% of coffee trees still lack water, and coffee production is expected to decline by 20% to a four-year low; in Brazil's largest producing region, Minas Gerais, there has been no rain for three consecutive weeks. Although prices previously plummeted due to a recovery in exports and the restoration of international inventories, signs of a rebound have recently emerged. Global financial services platform Marex Group Plc predicts that, affected by reduced production in Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the global robusta coffee market will face a supply gap of 2.7 million bags next year, and upward pressure on prices should not be underestimated. [more…]