TEGUCIGALPA, Apr 23: A major outbreak of plant fungus roya, or coffee leaf rust, will have a more damaging impact on production in Central America than previously feared, the head of the International Coffee Organisation yesterday (ICO) said.
ICO executive director Roberio Oliveira Silva said that roughly 3 million 60-kg bags of coffee would be lost to roya this season in Central America, which accounts for about one fifth of the world’s coffee output.
“The impact on global production isn’t so alarming in relation to the social and economic impact this region is experiencing,” Silva told Reuters in Tegucigalpa.
In a previous forecast, the ICO said the leaf rust outbreak would cut the region’s output by around 2.3 million 60-kg bags in the 2012/2013 season, which runs until the end of September. Silva said he had no estimate for the 2013/2014 season.
Silva said the leaf rust blight would cost the region around $550 million but that the losses there would be offset by increases in production in other parts of the world.
The ICO boss said more than $800 million would be needed
To tackle the consequences of the roya problem in Central America over the next five years, and expressed hope that the funding for it would soon be arranged.
“I hope we’re close to getting these funds for Central America, I have appointments with representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank for May,” he said.
(AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel