Brazil

Coffee production in Brazil is responsible for about a third of all coffee, making Brazil by far the world's largest producer, a position the country has held for the last 150 years...

Today in Brazil Coffee plantations cover about 27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi) of the country; of the approximately six billion trees, 74% are arabica and 26% robusta. Thestates São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Paraná are the largest producers due to suitable landscapes, climate and rich soil. Most plantations are harvested in the dry seasons of June through September.

Like in other coffee-producing countries, Brazil has a large population involved in the crop. Some 3.5 million people are involved in the industry, mostly in rural areas, which generates seven million indirect and direct jobs. The industry is divided in two distinct groups, ground-roasted coffee and instant coffee, operating with different structures and competitive patterns. The ground coffee market is highly competitive with over 1000 firms in 2001. In contrast, the instant coffee market is highly concentrated with the four major firms accounting for 75% of the market. Brazil is the only high-volume producer subject to frost. Heavy frosts ruined large harvests in 1975 and 1994. The two 1994 frosts, as well as water shortages in 2001, raised worldwide prices. The Brazilian Coffee Institute controls the price of coffee by regulating the amount grown and sold on the world market.

Article source: Wiki-pedia