Rain in coffee areas in Bahia and Rondonia will spread to south Minas and the Minas Cerrado later this week, private forecasters Somar said on Monday. During the weekend rainfall was concentrated in the forested coffee areas of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo which received about 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) of moisture. Looking further ahead, Somar said the forested coffee zones of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais will be wettest between February 26 and March 2. Sao Paulo will be showery and Parana mainly dry.

The forested coffee areas have already had more than double the average February rainfall. Vitoria da Conquista in Bahia has had 86 percent and Alegre in south Espirito Santo 65 percent more rain than usual.

But the important south Minas, Minas Cerrado, Mogiana and Parana coffee areas have been relatively dry.

Rain will help the development of coffee fruit, but it won't increase the size of the crop which was determined by flowering between September and November.

Robusta harvesting starts in March and arabicas in June.

The government has forecast a 17 percent fall in production, essentially arabicas, to between 30.7 million 60-kg bags and 33 million 60-kg bags in 2005 due to the downturn in the biennial crop cycle and lack of fertiliser.

Copyright Reuters, 2005