Where and when coffee grows
Brazil harvests from May to September, led by Minas Gerais for arabica and Espírito Santo and Rondônia for conilon. Flowering follows the first rains in September and October, and its success sets the next crop. Arabica tends to alternate high and low years, the biennial cycle.
Vietnam harvests robusta from October to January in the Central Highlands. Colombia harvests almost all year, with main and mid crops in different regions.
Reports and data that move the market
- CONAB coffee crop surveys for Brazil, four a year
- USDA FAS Coffee: World Markets and Trade, June and December
- International Coffee Organization monthly market report
- ICE certified arabica and robusta stocks, daily
- Brazilian export data (Cecafé) and Vietnamese customs data
Weather windows to watch
Frost in southern Minas Gerais and Paraná from June to August, the timing of the first rains for flowering in September and October, and dryness in Vietnam's Central Highlands from January to April, when robusta trees need irrigation.
Following coffee in Kommody
Kommody weights weather separately for arabica and robusta areas, tracks speculator positioning in Coffee C from the CFTC report, scores coffee news for sentiment and lists the coffee reports in the release calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the frost risk for Brazilian coffee?
- During the southern winter, from June to August, mainly in southern Minas Gerais and Paraná.
- What is the difference between arabica and robusta?
- Arabica grows at higher altitude, has milder flavour and trades as Coffee C in New York. Robusta is hardier, higher in caffeine, grown mainly in Vietnam and Brazil, and trades in London.