Maritime transport problems immobilize thousands of tons of Peruvian coffee

Note adapted from RPP: bit.ly/3bWsQNd

The lack of shipping companies to complete the export of Peruvian coffee puts at risk about US $ 120 million of the product, which affects the liquidity of its producers.

The general manager of the National Coffee Board (JNC), Lorenzo del Castillo, told the newspaper Gestión that 80% of these producers are dragging debts in the risk centers.

He also indicated that the situation is mainly worrying small and medium roaster buyers in Europe and Asia.

Despite the fact that coffee is having a good price, reaching between US $ 200 and US $ 250 per quintal, the global problem of maritime freight has complicated the possibility of making greater exports.

“There is no greater opportunity for shipments in the ports of Paita (Piura), Callao or Guayaquil (Ecuador) because the Pacific routes are the ones with the least shipping traffic and the shipping companies prefer to serve the higher tonnage routes. So, we have one-month and three-month batches paralyzed and that is a critical loss” said Del Castillo.

Coffee companies have ruled out shipping by air because even with high coffee prices the cost of air transport is much higher.

At the moment, specialists consider that this transportation problem could end in 2022, but this is not the only obstacle that producers face.

Faced with climate change, the increase in production costs and fertilizers, grain production has also fallen, going back ten years in production. For this 2021 it is estimated to harvest only 250,000 tons of green coffee, a figure similar to that of 2010.

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RPP Note: bit.ly/3bWsQNd

Cover photo: Pixabay