The world’s second-largest coffee producer, Colombia, harvested 1.06m 60kg bags of coffee in October, down from the 1.24m bags produced in October last year.

The National Federation of Coffee Growers also reported a downturn in exports of washed arabica beans. In October 830,000 60kg bags of washed arabica beans were exported, compared to 1.13m bags exported in October last year.

Colombia has forecast a harvest of 11.3m 60kg bags for the whole of 2002, with exports forecast to reach 10m 60kg bags, reported Reuters.