NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Friday it estimates global 2017-18 coffee production at 159.9 million 60-kg bags, with consumption to hit a record 158.5 million bags.
The USDA also pegged output in top grower Brazil at 51.2 million bags, down from its prior estimate of 52.1 million bags, with the arabica harvest seen falling to 38.8 million bags and robusta rising to 12.4 million bags.
Brazil’s harvest will be down from 56.1 million bags in 2016-17, the USDA said in a biannual report.
The world’s second biggest grower, Vietnam, will produce a record crop in 2017-18 at 29.9 million bags on “ideal weather.” This forecast was up from the USDA’s prior estimate at 28.6 million bags and up from 26.7 million bags in 2016-17, the USDA said.
Global coffee exports were forecast to fall, primarily due to lower shipments from Brazil, while ending inventories were expected to fall sharply to a five-year low at 29.3 million bags.
Coffee output in Colombia was forecast at 14.7 million bags in 2017-18, up slightly from 14.6 million bags in 2016-17, the USDA said. (Reporting by Marcy Nicholson Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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