Brazil's top coffee-producing state will likely stay mostly dry this week, Somar Meteorologists said in a weather bulletin on Wednesday, though a cold front should reach the southern tipof the growing region this weekend. Some 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) of rain could fall in south-eastern Sao Paulo state on Saturday, followed by 22 millimeters in Parana state on Sunday. The rains were not yet expected to touch Minas Gerais, where 50 percent of Brazil's coffee is grown.
The cold front could reach southern Minas Gerais next week, Somar said. Rains in April would likely be too late to reduce damage to the crop. The national coffee council on April 4 forecast production of between 40.1 and 43.3 million 60-kilogram bags due to drought earlier this year. That would be the smallest crop since 2009. Coffee is generally harvested starting in May in Brazil, but the dry weather caused beans to mature faster and some areas have already started harvesting.