London, June 15 - Colombia's 2008/09 coffee crop could fall below 10 million (60-kg) bags, down from the previous season's 12.5 million bags, International Coffee Organization Executive Director Nestor Osorio said on Monday.
"The reduction in the crop due to adverse weather in conjunction with the rejuvenation programme seems to be more serious than previously envisaged," Osorio said in a monthly market review.
Osorio said he had received reports that losses had reached 40 percent in some areas.
"The current crop could fall below 10 million bags but a final assessment will only be possible once the mitaca (mid-crop) has been completed," he added.
Colombia, the world's No. 3 coffee producer and top supplier of mild arabica beans, has seen its output reduced by bad weather at the end of last year and a temporary programme to replace aging trees with new ones.
The ICO cut its forecast for the world coffee crop in 2008/09 to 126.1 million bags, down from a previous estimate of 126.9 million but still above the prior season's 118.1 million.
The downward revision mainly reflected a reduced outlook for Central American producers.
The most significant cut was for Honduras which was projected at 3.4 million bags. It had previously been forecast at 3.8 million bags, unchanged from the prior season.