Coffee rust continues to hit Costa Rica crop

Costa Rican coffee exports slid 30 percent in November compared with the same month last year, due in part to continuing fallout from an outbreak of the tree-killing “rust” fungus, national coffee institute Icafe said.

"Farmers in general are in a very tough situation due to low productivity per hectare," Icafe head Xinia Chaves said, adding that needed investments in plantations have declined, Reuters reports.