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Finish firm sees

smaller Brazil coffee crop

HELSINKI: Finnish coffee and spice group Paulig Oy expects the Brazilian coffee crop in 1995/96 to be "even smaller than forecast, 12-17 million bags," its purchasing director Jouko Pihkanen said in a review.

This is over 10 million 60-kg bags less than in years of good harvests, he said in Paulig's annual summary.

"There has been no shortage of green coffee yet, but the situation could become fairly tight towards the end of the year," he said. But harvesting of Brazilian coffee, which began in June, "is of promisingly consistent quality," he added.

The coffee year runs from July 1.

Last week Brazilian brokers Wolthers and Associates cut its estimate for the crop to 13.15 million 60-kg bags from a previous forecast of 13.95 million.-Reuter