Philippine coffee exports are expectedto fall sharply due to a combination of the International
Coffee Organisation's (ICO) decision not to revive export
quotas and higher local prices, ICO Certifying Agency official
Dante de Guzman told Reuters.
    He said exporter registrations dropped from an average
weekly 500 tonnes in March to 45 tonnes last week, with exports
in coffee year 1986/87, ending September, forecast to total
about 8,000 tonnes against 48,000 in 1985/86.
     "Because of the relatively higher level of domestic prices,
it has become difficult to service exports," de Guzman said,
adding that most exporters are taking a wait and see attitude.
    Coffee production was expected to drop slightly to about
one mln bags of 60 kg each in the 1986/87 crop year ending June
from 1.1 mln bags last year, he said.
 REUTER
