"Rain will intensify in the south-east during the first few days of January and cover most of the major coffee growing areas, including Parana state," Somar said in a daily report. Brazilian coffee trees are growing cherries after flowering over the past few months. Widespread rainfall in recent days in the main arabica region will help the early development of coffee fruit to be picked in the second half of 2005. December is one of the wettest months of the year in south-east Brazil.
The forested zone of Minas Gerais has seen 415 mm, 82 percent above its average for the month and the Cerrado with 382 mm is 50 percent above average December rainfall. But south Minas rain is between 20 percent and 34 percent below average.