The demand for coffee has increased sharply in the past month as companies and consumers began buying coffee to stock up when the blockade was applied in countries to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
Coffee growers in South America have had difficulty storing arabica coffee to meet record numbers of orders from the West.
The blockade also raised concerns about labor shortages in plantations across Brazil, Columbia and Peru.
South America is responsible for providing two-thirds of the world's coffee production and accounts for about half of UK imports.
The economic crisis in South America and Latin America has affected coffee sourcing after prices hit bottoms forcing farmers across Honduras and Columbia to give up their harvests.
According to the Financial Times in early February, even before the corona virus epidemic became serious, the price of arabica coffee had dropped by 11% to a two-year low.
Coffee exports in Brazil are also at risk of a sharp decline next year, after sales have exceeded their annual targets.
Record orders for coffee were high
José Marcos Magalhães, head of Brazil's second largest coffee cooperative, Minasul, is forecast to export 400,000 60 kg bags of coffee for the whole 2020.
However, as international demand continues to increase, export volume is expected to double that target.
Last year, the cooperative exported 360,000 bags of coffee, this year is expected to ship 800,000 bags.
Magalhães said: “Currently, the number of orders is very large, mainly from Europe; consumption has increased rapidly at supermarkets in the US and they want to replenish inventories.”
Besides, he was forced to refuse many buyers due to the number of orders overloaded.
The CEO of the Colombian Coffee Growers Union, Roberto Vélez, said the country was facing the same situation due to a shortage of arabica coffee.
The peak of coffee harvest and production usually falls during the summer months and many plantations depend on the availability of additional workers from abroad.
In addition to South America, the UK also imports coffee from Vietnam, Indonesia and Ethiopia.
According to Economy and Consumption
