Drought could affect more the production of Colombian coffee

Drought and poor fertilization provoked an increase in pests of rust and drill the country's coffee crop, the government said, which could aggravate the already low grain harvest.

Colombia's coffee production fell 44 percent yoy in August to 397,000 bags of 60 kilos, while exports fell 26 percent year over year to 472,000 bags, according to latest statistics from the National Federation of Coffee Growers.

"The strong summer that is being registered in the country, especially in the coffee zone, added to problems in gathering the harvest and the failure of procedures for the renewal of coffee plantations are causing increased levels of infestation in field "said the general manager of the health authority ICA, Luis Fernando Caicedo.

Colombia is the third largest global supplier of coffee after Brazil and Vietnam, and his crop has been hit this year by the strong rainy season of 2008 that affected the flowering of trees, and by a facilities renovation plan to raise production in the next decade.

The country, which produced 11.4 million bags of 60 kilos of coffee in 2008, is also affected by intense sun season caused by El Nino, a warming of Pacific Ocean.

In a statement, Caicedo added that the aftermath of winter last year, coupled with poor fertilization, also caused a serious deterioration of the coffee planted with susceptible varieties to rust, a fungus that attacks the leaves of the plant, in areas of Caldas, Tolima and Antioquia.

The rust and the drill, the latter an insect that eats the coffee fruit, have been present in Colombia affecting coffee production, but have been controlled.

However, in recent years, the price of fertilizer and used to control insects have been increased by higher prices of oil, which has made it difficult for peasants to buy, so let down their guard in the combat pests.