Sales gained a little more pace, despite resistance from the sellers’ side. In any case, a few growers showed up on the market. The greater optimism regarding Brazil’s 2024 crop and the large volume of coffee from Brazil’s 2023 crop still in the hands of growers stimulated sales. The rise in prices at the end of the year, which has continued in early 2024, and the risk of a change in the price curve with the arrival of the new season on the market ended up affecting the behavior of sellers. This sales interest tends to grow in March and April, with the first batches of new coffees appearing on the market and in the face of the need for liquidity of some growers to cover harvest expenses.
The SAFRAS survey showed that growers committed 79% of the 23/24 crop (July/June) until February 13. In general terms, sales increased by 5% compared to the previous month. Given the good commercial flow last month, sales are already slightly above the same period last year, when they reached 78% of production. However, this is still below the 5-year average, which is around 81% for this period of the year.
Sales of arabica coffee in Brazil have reached 75% of production, in line with the same period last year and below the 5-year average (78%). The good progress in sales in the South of Minas stands out, especially amid cooperatives. The idea is that the cooperatives’ sales flow will be between 75% and 78% of their receipts, with growers accelerating sales at the beginning of 2024. Outside cooperatives, the flow is a little slower, although it has also performed well in these first weeks of the year.
Conillon sales continue to speed up, with growers taking advantage of high prices and good external interest. Conillon sales reach 87% of production, a percentage higher than in the same period last year, when growers had committed 84%, and above the five-year average (86%).