There’s no risk of frost in coffee growing regions in Brazil, the world’s largest producer, in the next 15 days, weather forecaster Somar Meteorologia said.
Winter temperatures will be no lower than 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), Somar agronomist Marco Antonio dos Santos said yesterday in an e-mailed response to questions.
Frost in Brazilian growing regions can damage trees bearing the following year’s crop. Coffee futures soared to a record $3.375 a pound in 1977 after damage from frosts in Brazil two years earlier, according to Bloomberg data. Frost in 1994 damaged 35 percent of the crop by 1997, according to Somar, sending prices up to $3.18 a pound that year.
Arabica coffee for September delivery rose 1.45 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $2.713 a pound today on ICE Futures U.S. in New York by 8:53 a.m. London time.