Share your coffee stories with us by writing to info@comunicaffe.com.
MILAN – Coffee markets remained volatile during the last session of the week, due to the arrival of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which made landfall in Vietnam on Thursday 6 September, causing the deaths of three people in Dak Lak province and of two others in Gia Lai province, respectively the country’s first and third largest production areas, without, however, causing serious damage to crops.
On Friday 7 November, prices rose sharply again, with New York back in the $4 range.
The ICE Arabica contract for December delivery gained 2.8% (+1,105 points), rising to 407.80 cents. Of note is the strong negative spread between the first and the second position (March 2026), which closed at 385.85 cents, with significantly lower gains (+680 points).
Certified stocks continued to decline, falling on Friday to 417,478 bags, the lowest level in the last 21 months. COT (Commitments of Traders) data is still unavailable due to the government shutdown.
In London, the ICE Robusta contract for January delivery rose 2.6% (+$118) to end the week at $4,648. News received on Friday morning confirmed that the coffee-growing areas of Vietnam’s Central Highlands did not suffer serious damage from Typhoon Kalmaegi, at least according to initial estimates.
According to the influential Vietnam Coffee Cocoa Association ( Vicofa ), the damage was greater in Gia Lai, but even in this case, the impact was not severe, according to local sources, quoted by Bloomberg. However, producers point out that if it continues to rain in the coming weeks, when harvesting operations will be in full swing, the problems could become more serious.
In fact, rain and humidity could prevent the coffee from drying properly, which would have a negative impact on quality. The tail end of the typhoon brought more rain in the following days, triggering further warnings of possible flooding and landslides. The extent of the damage to infrastructure also remains to be assessed.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Super Typhoon Fung-Wong made landfall in the Philippines, a country already battered last week by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which caused 200 deaths and extensive damage to the archipelago.
Brazilian news sources report that southern Minas Gerais was hit by heavy rain and hailstorms last week, causing damage to several farms, with torn and fallen leaves, and broken branches.
The municipalities of Araponga, Muriaé, Viçosa, Canaã and Novo Cruzeiro were affected, as well as some areas near Angelândia. ‘The rain was very heavy and, in some places, the hail was intense enough to damage the trees,’ said a local producer.
Colombian production slowed in October. According to the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, 1.2 million 60 kg bags were harvested last month, which is 10% less than in October 2024.
According to the Federation’s executive director, Germán Bahamón, the decline was the result of heavy rains in the first half of the year, as well as the off-cycle of the trees. However, production for the first ten months of the year is up 7% to 11.2 million bags. Production over the past 12 months has increased by 14% to reach 14.7 million.
Shipments were flat on year in October, reaching 1.04 million. Exports for the first ten months grew by 10% to 10.8 million, while exports for the last twelve months available grew by 11% to 13.3 million.
