Central America: Major job losses due to coffee rust fungus epidemic

Laprensa.com.ni reported that the epidemic of coffee rust caused losses amounting to $ 550 million in Central America and the Caribbean and the decline of 441.000 jobs in the 2012-2013 harvest, according to estimates included in the final report of the International Prices Coffee. The Central American countries were the hardest hit, according to the ICO, with a loss of 381.000 seats. Calculations are Regional Cooperative Program for the Technological Development and Modernization of Coffee (PROMECAFE) affecting these countries. Loss by country Guatemala lost 115,000 jobs, followed by Honduras with 100,000, according to the ICO. 90.000 seats is what would have missed El Salvador, Panama lost 30.000, and 14,000 seats was reduced in Costa Rica. Least 32,000 jobs because of the rust is what the ICO estimates for Nicaragua. 56.500 unless there were places in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica 3.640. However, the ICO maintains the estimated world production for coffee year 2012-2013 at 144.6 million bags (6.4 percent more than in the previous season) and indicates that prices stabilized in March.The damage caused by the coffee rust in Central America has been offset by increased production in other countries, particularly in Brazil, Indonesia and Ethiopia, according to the ICO. According to the agency, the rust fungus that affects many countries in Central America and the Caribbean, has led to a decline of 2.3 million bags. Read Article