Guatemala City, July 3 - Guatemala's coffee crops have been unaffected by heavy rains in the western highland region, the country's coffee association said on Friday.
More than 300 people were evacuated from their homes in and around the town of San Lucas Toliman, on the southern shore of Lake Atitlan, after heavy rains and hail storms on Thursday swelled rivers and flooded houses.
"Specifically in the coffee plantations we haven't seen any damage for the moment ... as they are protected by tree cover," a spokesperson for Anacafe told Reuters.
The area is home to hard-bean and strictly hard-bean Arabica coffee, sought after by specialty roasters.
Guatemala, Central America's biggest coffee exporter, has a June-to-November rainy season and experiences both Pacific and Atlantic weather systems.
In 2005, Hurricane Stan destroyed close to 10 percent of the country's coffee crop when heavy rains knocked fruit off trees and destroyed water systems and roads.