Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association said that coffee output in the Central Highlands is expected to drop sharply this year.
This drastic fall will be mainly due to long-lasting drought conditions since early this year, which have caused severe shortage of irrigation water in vast coffee growing areas.
At present, there is rain with high humidity in the Central Highlands, making it conducive for insects and disease to flourish.
Another reason contributing to fall in coffee output is the fact that most of the coffee plants are now too aged.
According to statistics from Giai Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong Provinces, the coffee plants are more than 20-years-old accounting for lower productivity--below one ton per hectare.
The fall in coffee output might cause a reduction in coffee exports this year, which are forecast to reach only 1.1 million tons, about 600,000 tons less than last year.
About 70 percent of 500,000 hectares of coffee growing area has suffered from water shortage in the Central Highlands this year. Of this, 55,000 hectares constantly remains severely parched.
