Central American coffee growers prepare for a return to lower world prices

Coffee producers in Central America are using profits from this season's high prices to diversify their income in preparation for an eventual turnaround in the market, by planting new types of crops and offering coffee tours.

Coffee officials say they hope this will prevent migration of coffee farmers when prices drop again, and serve as a crutch so that they can continue properly tending to their plantations.

As farmers replace old, low-yielding coffee shrubs with new ones, they are also planting new types of crops that can serve as shade trees for the coffee plants, such as banana and avocado trees.

Original source: MarketWatch