Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, has witnessed a rapid surge in its coffee exports to China in recent years, hitting a record high in 2023.
In the first half of 2024, over 510,000 bags (each weighing 60 kg) of Brazilian coffee were delivered to Chinese consumers.
In a coffee farm named "Santa Izabel Fazenda" in Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil, around 42,000 coffee trees are bearing coffee cherries of 40 different varieties. Just a few years ago, coffee beans grown in this farm started making their way to a new large market -- China.
Marquinho Florezi, the farm's manager, explained the fermentation and drying processes of fresh coffee cherries. "It's a good harvest, and we expect high-quality coffee since there was no rain during maturation. After harvesting, we wash the coffee beans and sort them by color, selecting ripe, green, and drier ones. Then, we place the beans in barrels for fermentation, which lasts 100 hours. This is the first batch to complete fermentation. After this, the coffee will be dried for another seven to ten days," said Florezi.
The processed coffee is usually sent to a nearby export company. The company began exporting coffee to China in 2017 with just 600 bags (each 60 kg) a year. In recent years, exports have increased significantly because of the rising demand and recognition of Brazilian coffee quality in the Chinese market.
"The coffee export volume to China has grown greatly. Last year, we exported about 10,000 bags of coffee (each 60 kg) to China," said Victor Vuolo, the company's manager.
In 2017, Brazil exported fewer than 100,000 bags of coffee to China, but by 2023, that number had risen to nearly 1.5 million sacks, according to data from the Council of Coffee Exporters of Brazil.
"China, which was ranked the 22nd on the list of Brazil's coffee exports until 2022, has now moved up to the sixth place, showing significant growth. Coffee has become a cultural symbol for the Chinese, and Brazil hopes to be the leading partner in supporting the expansion of the coffee culture in China," said Marcos Antonio Matos, general director of the council.
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Brazil's coffee exports to China reach new high
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Brazil's coffee exports to China reach new high
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Brazil's coffee exports to China reach new high