On the fourth Friday of August every year, for more than a decade, the Peruvian Coffee Day has been celebrated. This date is especially relevant as it is a crop that is the main source of income for around 255,000 families, which is equivalent to more than 2 million farmers at the national level.
However, 2023 has proven to be a ambivalent period for the coffee industry Peruvian, says Lorenzo del Castillo, manager of the National Coffee Board (JNC).
Among the positive aspects, he highlights the increase in domestic coffee consumption. He affirms that, currently, the average consumption per person is 1.6 kg per year, which is equivalent to approximately 15% of the total production. However, by 2030, the goal is to reach 2.5 kg or 3 kg per capita.
Consumption drivers
The manager of the JNC He maintains that the increase in domestic coffee consumption is largely due to entrepreneurship promoted by young people, who have established various coffee shops in different regions of the country. The coffee-growing areas of Pichanaqui, San Ignacio, La Convención, Sandia, etc. stand out.
Peruvian coffee day: Devida will offer 10,000 glasses of this drink for free next weekend. Photo: diffusion
In the capital, the emergence of new coffee shops. An example of this is Oriunda Specialty Coffee & Tea, located on av. Ricardo Palma between the Surquillo and Miraflores districts. This initiative was born with the purpose of providing a space where people can disconnect from the routine, relive their memories and stimulate their imagination, says its founder, Franshesca del Castillo.
In relation to the origin of the beans, Franshesca shares that initially they came from areas such as Cajamarca, Cusco and Villarrica. However, during the pandemic, they turned to coffee profiles from the Rodríguez de Mendoza province, in Amazonwhere they established a close collaboration with coffee growers, guaranteeing a supervised production process from harvest to roasting.
Regarding demand, Franshesca affirms that today people are looking for meaningful, artisanal and quality coffees.
Low prices and climate change
In 2023, despite the advances in domestic consumption and the consolidation of Peruvian coffee in more than 50 international markets, the general balance has not been positive for the coffee farmers. They have been affected by low grain prices.
In the course of 2022, the cost per kilogram of coffee ranged between S/17 and S/18. However, this year, the maximum price it has reached is S/8.50 per kilo, says Tomás Altamirano, president of the Valle Shocol Association of Agricultural Producers.
The representative of the small farmers of the district of Limabamba, in Amazonas, warns that this decrease in prices has aggravated the vulnerability of coffee growers in this region of the country. “The coffee growers We are now feeling great poverty because coffee is the main source of income in the area,” he adds.
Likewise, he warns that the lack of rain is drying up the coffee plantations and threatens the flowering phase for the next season.
In this regard, Mirbel Epiquién, director of Agricultural Development and Agroecology of Midagri, mentions that the low prices are due to the recovery of the world supply of this product. In addition, she maintains that to face this problem, this ministry is promoting the association of coffee growers, financing and special coffees.
Peruvian coffee: they seek to increase the annual per capita consumption of this grain to 5 kilograms by 2030. Photo: diffusion
Aging of plantations and pests
The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (midagri) expects to produce 60 quintals of coffee per hectare by 2030. Currently, the yield is approximately 20 quintals.
Lorenzo del Castillo affirms that the low production is due to the fact that 75% of the coffee plantations in Peru are between 15 and 40 years old, and need to be renewed.
In addition, he points out that, due to the effect of climate change, pests such as rust have also reduced the capacity of plants.
The word
Lorenzo del Castillo, manager of the JNC
“This year, coffee prices are based on the production rate from Brazil. In 2022, because this country had a drop in its production, the price of coffee rose in an extraordinary way”.
Variation in prices and exports of Peruvian coffee
Infographic – The Republic
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
