Coffee supply from Latin America isn’t safe over coronavirus: Bloomberg

The coronavirus pandemic has upended life in unprecedented and countless ways. Now it may be coming for your coffee.

Bank closures, reduced working hours, hampered mobility, and fears of contagion on farms have all raised serious concerns that there won’t be enough laborers to collect coffee beans for harvests that will soon get underway. The pressure is especially acute in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, which account for almost two-thirds of world output for the smooth-tasting arabica beans.

In Peru, beans are grown by farmers from the highlands of Puno, who migrated into the growing areas of the Sandia district. Crop collection is supposed to start next month, but Jimmy Larico, the general manager of cooperative Cecovasa is worried there won’t be enough workers.

“Many people are abandoning their farms. The harvest is at risk if the quarantine persists.”

Suppliers and intermediaries in Colombia have had problems accessing producing regions under lockdown restrictions. They’ve had trouble collecting coffee supply, while reduced banking hours also make payment operations more restricted, according to Geneva-based trader Sucafina SA.