Brazil arabica coffee trade dwindles on low stocks and a delayed harvest
London/São Paulo — Trade in arabica coffee in Brazil has slowed to a trickle as stocks dwindle at the height of the between-harvests period and merchants are still dealing with transport disruptions following a nationwide truckers strike. The slowdown has tightened already scarce nearby supplies of arabica from the top grower where stocks dropped following a 20% fall in the last crop compared to the previous season. While a record crop is expected this year, coffee has been slow to get to the market amid delays to the harvest. The truckers strike deepened worries about hold-ups as it curbed May coffee exports by some 900,000 bags. "At the moment, there’s only limited business taking place," said one European dealer. "We’re not seeing the normal volumes traded." The reduced flow from Brazil has not stemmed persistent investor selling ahead of a looming supply surplus expected in 2018-19. But farmers could still make a profit due to a weakening of the local currency. "If the weakening...
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