Rains fortify Brazil's coffee crop

Heavy showers have swept over Brazil's south-eastern coffee belt and more are due in the next few days, restoring soil moisture after a dry spell began harming the new coffee crop, weather forecaster Somar said on Monday. Agronomists said last week that lack of rain at the outset of the coffee crop was turning critical as some of the tiny coffee fruit withered due to lack of moisture and high temperatures, although the damage was not widespread.