One of the basic distinctions between different coffee beans is whether they belong to the Arabica or the Robusta species. The Robusta species is expected to get a lot more expensive very soon, as one of its main producers, Vietnam, is experiencing a rise in covid-19 cases. The impact of this outburst of the pandemic on coffee is mainly connected to the full lockdown of the Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, where one of the biggest ports in the country is located. Since the city is in lockdown, even the ports are closed, so no coffee can be exported. The export of coffee worldwide is also impacted by a low supply of transport containers and overall rising costs of transport. Throughout 2021, the prices of the Robusta species of coffee beans have already risen by around 50%. The Arabica beans are also experiencing a bad year, as droughts and freezing cold have struck Brazil, one of its biggest producers. Many Brazilian coffee farmers report that the weather was so unkind, that it not only destroyed the beans, but also the plants growing them, which will now have to be replanted and regrown. Such plants will only start satisfying the demand for coffee beans in three years’ time. Thus, a cup of the caffeine-rich beverage now costs the most in 7 years, and the prices are expected to rise further.
