Rainfall in Central America cuts global estimate of annual coffee crop. Big drops predicted by El Salvador and Guatemala

Global coffee production in the season started last month will fall from a previous estimate as rainfall hurt crops in Asia and Latin America, according to the International Coffee Organization.

World coffee production will be 127.4 million bags in the 2011-12 season started last month, down from a previous forecast of 129.5 million bags in September. A bag weighs 60 kilograms.

Production in Guatemala, Central America’s second-largest producer, will fall 8.9 percent to 3.6 million bags as rains hurt the crop, while output in El Salvador will tumble more than 21 percent to 1.45 million bags, the London-based group estimated.

Original source: Bloomberg