Coffee exporters of Costa Rica reported today that they have had an unusual year and not by international prices or production problems, but because organized crime gangs have stolen 18 containers loaded with high quality Costa Rica coffee.
The president of the National Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica Coffee, said today in a press conference that the containers have been stolen from roads to ports and even on the grounds of shipping companies, attributed to organized crime.
From October 2011 to present, 18 stolen containers (with about 19 tons each) were taken and three of them were replaced by trash.
“We are quite concerned with the large economic impact, but also for our foreign buyers because it can impact the country’s image and its excellent quality coffee,” said the Chamber.
Losses for the 18 containers of coffee amount to about three million, increase their shipping by about $ 200 per container, for placing tracking devices and investigators.
The most alarming cases are product substitutions by other cargo and then exported
The Coffee Exporters Chamber require the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) to take this issue more seriously.
Coffee is one of the most important agricultural products to Costa Rica and as coffee data show in 2011-2012 a harvest of 2.38 million bushels (about 46 kilos each bushel), representing an increase of 13.2 % compared to the 2.10 billion bushels of harvest 2010-2011.
In 2010, exports of Costa Rica coffee totaled 258.2 million dollars, while for 2011 showed an increase of 44.8% to reach $ 374 million, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
From January to October 2012 coffee sales abroad and exceed those of all of 2011, an increase of $379 million.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
