Brazil coffee roasters change blends as robustas wane

SAO PAULO: Brazilian coffee roasters are changing their production blends, using a larger share of arabica beans due to the scarcity of robustas, the head of local roasters association Abic, Nathan Herszkowicz, said on Wednesday.

Different from top ground roasted brands worldwide that normally use 100 percent arabica beans, many brands in Brazil are produced with a mix of arabicas and robustas, this one normally cheaper and a type that gives a bolder taste to the drink, an aspect appreciated by many Brazilians.

Herszkowicz said some roasters that were using up to 40 percent of robustas in their blends recently cut that to 10 or 15 percent, amid a sharp reduction of robusta supplies after two years of drought in top producing state of Esp?rito Santo.

"The reality today is that roasters are using much less conilon," said the official, referring to the way robusta beans are called locally.

"The ground roasted industry has had to make a large modification in the blends, buying lower quality arabicas to substitute conilon" he said.

Brazil is the world's second largest coffee consumer after the United States. The country uses around 21 million 60-kg bags of coffee per year. But as it produces more than 50 million bags in a good year, it still exports close to 30 million bags.

Both roasters and producers of instant coffee have been asking the government to allow coffee imports as a way to deal with robusta scarcity. The request appeared answered on Monday, when rules for imports were published. But on Wednesday Brazil's President Michel Temer reversed the decision.

Earlier this month Brazil's largest coffee cooperative had already called the attention for increased demand for arabica beans from local roasters, saying the move could reduce the amount of coffee available for exports.

Herszkowicz said changing blends is a difficult decision by roasters, because clients feel the difference. He believes a return to previous blends in the future, if robusta supplies increase, is unlikely as to avoid more changes in the product.