Farmers in Brazil’s Espirito Santo state have uprooted coffee trees that were heavily affected by drought in that region, according to The Wall Street Journal. The state of Espirito Santo is crucial in producing robusta beans that go into much of the world’s instant coffee, the source reports.
According to one farmer, the prolonged drought in the area — nearly three years of dry weather — has meant the trees were too parched to save.
Though rain came to the region in November, analysts and farmers say it’s too late to save the season’s crop.
Brazil is the world’s top coffee producer with nearly three-quarters of Brazilian coffee supplies coming from the Espirito Santo state, The Wall Street Journal reports.