Colombia’s new coffee axis: Huila, Cauca and Nariño take the lead
The area traditionally known as the coffee axis, Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío, went from representing 22% of the coffee cultivated area in the country in 2002, to 14% in 2022. On the other hand, Huila, Cauca and Nariño, where previously 19% of the cultivated area was concentrated in 2002, have become protagonists, reaching 32% in 2022. Are we facing the emergence of a new coffee axis?
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The Traditional Coffee Axis
At the beginning of the century, the coffee growing region represented 22.2% of the area planted with coffee in Colombia, according to data from the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC). Between Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío 193 thousand hectares of coffee were planted in 2002.
In a clear setback, in 2022 these three departments only totaled 120 thousand hectares planted with coffee and represented 14.3% of the area planted in the country, according to the most recent reports of the FNC.
The recognized coffee axis has lost more than 72 thousand hectares of coffee sown in 21 years. On average 2.3% of the hectares have been lost per year. Quindio has been the most affected department, losing 58% of its planting, going from 44 thousand hectares in 2002 to 18 thousand hectares in 2022.
On the other hand, Caldas lost 29 thousand hectares planted with coffee. It went from 88 thousand to 59 thousand in the period from 2002 to 2022 – a reduction of 33%. Risaralda reduced its hectares from 59 thousand to 43 thousand in those 21 years. This means a loss of 27%, according to FNC data.
The New Coffee Axis
In 2002 a total of 167 thousand hectares of coffee were planted in Huila, Cauca and Nariño, which represented 19.3% of the planted area of the country, according to the FNC.
In 2022 these three departments totaled 276 thousand hectares planted with coffee, or 32.7% of Colombia’s total. These are the departments that have gained the most participation within the national production, which is why they are emerging as a new coffee axis.
The department that has fared the best is Huila, its planted hectares grew 86%, from 78 thousand to 145 thousand hectares from 2002 to 2022, according to FNC data. Huila went, in those 20 years, from representing 9% of the planted area of the country to 17%.
The hectares planted with coffee in Nariño grew 55%, going from 23 thousand in 2002 to 35 thousand in 2022. In this way Nariño went from being 2.6% of the national production to representing 4.2%, according to FNC data.
There was also growth in the department of Cauca. Planted hectares increased 43%, from 65 thousand (2002) to 94 thousand hectares in 2022. During this period, the share of the area planted in Colombia grew from 7.5% to 11.2%, according to FNC figures.
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The fall of the coffee axis shows the bad moment of coffee in the country
The reduction of the area planted with coffee in the coffee axis reflects the bad situation of the sector at present. In the first two months of 2024, Colombia exported less coffee than in the same period of 2023, according to the most recent DANE report. While in 2023, coffee exports amounted to USD $494 million, for this year the figure stood at USD $474 million.
The association Dignidad Cafetera has denounced the serious income problem suffered by coffee producers. While last year they were paid COP $2.4 million per load of coffee, in 2024 the price per load is COP $1.5 million.
🚨 Atención 🚨
— Dignidad Agropecuaria Cundinamarca (@DignidadAgroCun) April 1, 2024
Peticiones de los Cafeteros de Colombia: "Los cafeteros no resistimos más"
🔴¡Comparte y apoya a los Cafeteros Colombianos! pic.twitter.com/KR66AuEAlp
Another point that aggravates the complex situation of coffee growers is the high cost of debt. Dignidad Cafetera explains that many coffee growers are highly indebted and it is necessary to apply capital and interest cancellation policies. It is also difficult for coffee growers to access new credits.
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