Vietnam’s coffee crop headed for high yields

Vietnam's coffee crop is off to a strong start as heavy rainfall bolstered the supply outlook, which could put further pressure on global prices that are near a seven-month low.

- ANURADHA RAGHU NGUYEN DIEU TU UYEN

“The weather has been quite favour-able for coffee trees, with a lot of rain over the last few weeks,’ said Trinh Duc Minh, chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association in Dak Lak. The pre-cipitation came at the right time, when the trees needed water for fruiting, he said, adding that it also helped cut irri-gation costs, allowing farmers to spend more on fertilisers.

Rising output of robusta coffee in Vietnam, the world’s biggest grower of the variety, could cheer consumers as prices of espresso and instant coffee drinks could ease.