Bogota, April 1, 2009 (coffee Information Network) Starting today, the National Federation of Coffee Growers apply a new system of valuation and determination of domestic price of coffee. The new system, which was approved by the National Committee of Coffee Growers, the institution's highest court, the farmer seeks to provide new practical tools to facilitate the valuation and pricing, through a fast, simple and quality incentive . With the new assessment tool, the farmer will not have to worry about the well-known performance factor (amount of parchment needed to get a sack of 70 kilos of coffee sublime) as the assessment was changed to healthy almond, allowing that the more you take high-quality coffee to the cooperative, the higher the price they receive for it. Now the farmer define the value of your cargo according to the percentage of healthy almond, almond defective and cisco. The higher the percentage of kernel in the parchment sound the higher the price that farmers recognize the union.
But while the value of the product reaches unexpected levels, the dollar continues to fall, which has increased the appreciation of the peso. The record price recorded by the International Coffee Organization (ICO), not seen for a decade (May 1998). In the domestic market prices also rebounded this year, as the load of 125 kilos, as the price for receiving the coffee farmers' cooperatives in the holds of Almacafé, these days has been at 500,000 pesos, but now in a minimum of 521. 500 pesos (in Cucuta) and 525 250 (Santa Marta). Producers such as Mario Gomez Estrada, Caldas representative on the National Committee of Coffee Growers, think that the international price is not a panacea, as in Colombia, production costs have been increasing in labor and inputs (fertilizers). Despite the surge in grain prices, farmers will not benefit the full extent because the prices at this time there is no harvest, for the next harvest season is scheduled for April and May when the production comes the so-called crop of MiTAC. During this period, the highest production was recorded in the departments of Tolima, Huila and Cundinamarca Santanders. This means that the traditional coffee-growing region, consisting of Quindio, Risaralda and Caldas, will not qualify for current prices as most grain production in this region are noted in the second half, during October and November. However, the good behavior during the past months can contribute to the harvest of MiTAC in the coffee is higher than previous years. The minibonanza comes as the country has decreased considerably the cultivated area of coffee, as a result of the crisis that has lived since the early 90's and the conversion of farms to touristy activities. Good prices were predicted Although the current situation of international prices had been predicted by experts, the current price of $ 1.50 per pound was not in the plans of those who sell the grain in the New York Stock Exchange. So far, the projections indicated that prices would keep over a pound, but at no time spoke of the figure recorded yesterday. The increase in contributions due, according to market analysts, the increased demand and reduced inventories.
