Costa Rican coffee exports fell 9.6% in December, the country’s national coffee institute ICAFE reported on Thursday.

Exports in December reached 35,790 60-kg bags, down from 39,576 bags during the same month in the previous year.

The monthly fall in coffee shipments from Costa Rica, one of Central America’s smaller producers but known for its high-quality beans, was smaller in percentage terms, however, compared with dips in November and October, in which exports fell by 30% and 55%, respectively.

During the first three months of the current 2019/2020 harvesting season, Costa Rican coffee exports totaled 61,417 bags, or down nearly 27% compared to the same three-month period during the previous 2018/2019 season, according to ICAFE data.

During the 2018/2019 season, the country exported 1.06 million bags, down about 13% compared to the previous cycle.

The coffee season in Central America and Mexico, which together produce about a fifth of the world’s arabica beans, runs from October through September.

Source: Reuters