Coffee growers in southeastern Brazil's Esporito Santo State still embrace a good harvest despite high temperatures and drought in recent years, thanks to the cultivation of a drought-resistant variety and the large-scale introduction of irrigation systems.
Robusta coffee, one of the two main coffee varieties in the world, is widely grown in the state, and has entered a harvest season so far this month. Compared with arabica coffee, the other main variety, robusta coffee trees, are more heat-resistant and more drought-resistant, and has a higher yield per unit area.
According to a forecast released by the National Supply Company in May, Brazil's robusta coffee yield is expected to increase by 28.3 percent to 18.7 million bags (60 kilograms per bag), while for arabica coffee, the yield is expected to decrease by 6.6 percent to around 37 million bags.
Esporito Santo is the country's largest robusta coffee producing area, where over 90 percent of coffee plantations have introduced irrigation systems. the climate was relatively favorable. Coupled with the technical guidance of agronomists, we've hit a new record in the annual yield," said Kennedy Antonio Pifer, a coffee grower.
Fabricia Colombi Ortolani, another coffee grower, said that the yield in her plantation is expected to increase by around 50 percent.
She said that many farmers in Minas Gerais where arabica coffee is mainly grown are troubled by drought, and she had long realized that water source management is crucial for stable coffee production.
Therefore, she chose to grow more drought-resistant robusta coffee and introduced a drip irrigation system.
"We are using the intelligent drip irrigation system. At 22:00 every night, the system will automatically make a calculation based on the data and supply water the next day. The volume of water just meets the needs of coffee trees, no less and no more. The arabica coffee growers have indeed been greatly affected by the drought. We have also experienced similar difficulties, especially in the severe droughts from 2014 to 2016, when many farms were forced to abandon planting. However, we realized that only with a well-equipped irrigation system can coffee be grown well, because irrigation is very important. Without water, nothing can be done," said Ortolani.
Local agricultural technicians like Tales Fontes are also cultivating new varieties of coffee that are more drought-resistant. The cooperative where Fontes works focuses on breeding higher-yielding robusta coffee that can withstand higher temperatures and drought.
"We are facing many challenges from the climate, especially in terms of temperature and moisture. Therefore, we will evaluate different coffee varieties based on the conditions. Farmers will also make a choice based on their own actual situations to see which variety can better withstand these challenges. This not only ensures the yield, but also makes the variety more durable and better respond to various challenges it faces," said Fontes.
Drought-resistant variety, irrigation ensure coffee yield in Esporito Santo amid climate crisis
Drought-resistant variety, irrigation ensure coffee yield in Esporito Santo amid climate crisis
