Coffee craze forces Asia’s big exporters to buy Brazilian beans

A worker sifts coffee beans at the Camocim coffee plantation in Domingos Martins, Brazil. — AFP RELAXNEWS

Jakarta: Some of Asia’s biggest coffee-producing nations are finding it more challenging to satisfy the caffeine cravings in their home markets.

From the streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the cafes of Jakarta, consumers are rapidly developing a taste for coffee, and that’s transforming Asian producers into large buyers. While Vietnam and Indonesia still rank as major shippers, they are increasingly sourcing coffee from agriculture powerhouse Brazil to meet the consumption boom.