Colombian Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo announced that roya fungus—responsible for last year’s drop in Colombian coffee output—is again spreading aggressively and is now present on more than half of the country’s coffee farms.
The fungus attacks the leaves of coffee plants, impairing photosynthesis and cutting yields. Its strong resurgence raises concerns that production may not return to normal levels after two years of decline—a factor that has driven world arabica coffee prices to their highest point in 34 years.
Last year about 300,000 hectares of Colombia’s 900,000 hectares of coffee were infected; this year the figure has climbed to 470,000 hectares.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, the shift from dry weather to heavy rains has created ideal conditions for roya and other fungi to thrive on coffee plants. The country’s target output of 9–10 million bags this year may therefore be out of reach.
Currently Colombia is experiencing dry weather, but the national meteorological agency IDEAM forecasts that from April through June rainfall will be roughly three times the normal level, driven by the La Niña phenomenon.