London, May 13 - World coffee production is forecast to rise to around 127 million 60-kg bags in 2008/09, up from 116.9 million in the prior year, International Coffee Organization Executive Director Nestor Osorio said on Tuesday.
Osorio, who had previously put the 2008/09 crop at between 123 and 126 million bags, said in a monthly report that the increase partly reflected new estimates of Brazilian production.
Last week the Brazilian agriculture ministry's crop supply department, Conab, forecast the 2008/09 crop for the world's top producer at 45.5 million bags, up from a range of 41.3 million to 44.2 milllion issued in April.
The ICO put world consumption in calendar year 2007 at 122.34 million bags, up from 120.52 million in 2006, adding that importing members had taken delivery of a record amount of around 100 million bags of coffee last year.
"This rate of imports is an indication of the rapid growth in world consumption and an important factor for maintaining the firmness of prices," Osorio said.