SAO PAULO/NEW YORK: Green coffee exports by the world's largest producer grew 36pc in November compared to a year earlier to 4.025 million 60-kg bags, the highest volume ever for that month, Brazilian exporters association Cecafe said in a report on Wednesday.

Shipments of arabica coffee were at 3.69 million bags, 34pc higher than in November 2019, while exports of robusta beans reached 333,887 bags, 64pc more than a year earlier, Cecafe said.

Brazil harvested a near record crop of coffee in 2020, seen by the market at around 68 million bags. Shipments tend to increase in the last months of the year as demand grows during the winter in the northern hemisphere, despite the pandemic that has shut down coffee shops and restaurants.

There was a slight decrease in shipments compared to October, when the country shipped 4.15 million bags of green coffee.

Cecafe said the average price per bag of coffee exported was $124.90, basically at the same level seen in November last year and still a very long way off the higher prices seen in previous years, such as $166 per bag in 2017 and $178 per bag in 2016.

Cumulative exports in 2020 (Jan. to Nov.) reached 36.08 million bags, an all time high and 6pc above the same period a year earlier, as the country managed to expand volumes for the third consecutive year.

Main destinations in 2020 were the United States (7.2 million bags), Germany (6.7 million bags), Belgium (3.3 million bags), Italy (2.8 million bags) and Japan (2.1 million bags).