Heavy impact to Costa Rican coffee from Rust Disease, which has also affected crops across the Americas.
Costa Rica will lose at least 18% of the 2013-2014 coffee harvest due to the rust disease that affects most of the coffee plantations in the country, so that producers urged Congress to approve of a trust $ 40 million to fight the disease.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Xinia Chavez said in a press conference that the latest forecast indicates that the country will lose 18% of their harvest from 2013 to 2014, exceeding the previous forecast start of year was 10, 5%.
This calculation indicates that the 2013-2014 harvest produced 1,841,532 bushels Costa Rica (bags) of coffee (46 kilos each), while in 2012-2013 was 2,246,521 bushels.
The trust of $ 40 million will be allocated to farmers with a production of 50 bushels or less per harvest, who represent 81% of the 52,000 coffee producers in the country.
These farmers produce as a whole about 25% of the crop in Costa Rica.
Half the money will go to social support for at least two years for affected families continue to produce but do not obtain the same income for their coffee, while controlling the outbreak or renew your plants.
The remaining funds will be for productivity improvements as renovation of coffee plantations.
Besides the rust problems, the sector has faced low international prices, aging plants, climatic and economic recession in the United States, one of the leading markets for Costa Rican coffee.
Rust is a fungus that weakens the plant and causes the leaves and the fruit to drop has been present Costa Rica for 30 years and had never hit more than 5% of the coffee, but according to experts, changes in rainfall patterns last year and the age of many plants, are the reasons we are seeing this drastic increase.
In January, the Costa Rican government declared a sanitary emergency because of the plague of rust and spent four million dollars to a plan for the purchase of chemicals and training to producers.
The coffee from the rest of Central America are also being affected by the fungus and like Costa Rica, some countries have enacted emergency. Based on a report by EFE
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
