Global coffee consumption growth could ease-ICO
    By Marcy Nicholson
   NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - Tight coffee supplies in Colombia and the possible impact from the global economic crisis could slow the growth of global consumption in 2009, said Nestor Osorio, executive director for the International Coffee Organization (ICO), on Tuesday. 
  

 "There (is) a lot of Colombian coffee that is not going to be there, that could create a problem. It's not the consumption is coming down, it's there is no availability at origin," London-based Osorio told Reuters on the sidelines of a Colombian, Ecuadorean and Venezuelan American Association luncheon in New York.
   Global coffee consumption has been growing annually by about 1.5 to 2 percent in recent years, Osorio said.
   "I am still observing what is the evolution of what is (a) very atypical year. I think this will continue to be at these levels, maybe there could be a correction of half a million bags, but that is still to be seen," he said.
   Osorio was referring to a year that is experiencing a global economic crisis as well as tight coffee supplies in the world's No. 3 producer, Colombia. The effect on consumption in emerging markets, expected to account for 18 percent of the world's coffee consumption in 2009, was still uncertain.
   Coffee's classification as a luxury good in these countries, plus possible devaluations of local currencies against the U.S. dollar, and possible reduction in demand due to unemployment and lack of credit, leave their impact on consumption uncertain, Osorio said.
   On top of this, Colombia has tight supplies following heavy rains and a tree rejuvenation program that took a significant portion of land out of production. The world's largest producer Brazil will also harvest a smaller crop than last year due to the country's biennial production cycle.
   The ICO estimated world coffee production in 2008/09 at 126.86 million 60-kg bags last month.
   "I think that in general terms, at the end of the day, consumption in the United States will be maintained with some corrections in some special niches. If you are charging too much for the cup of coffee, you are going to know it," Osorio said.
   The U.S. is pegged to consume 21.9 million bags of coffee in the 2009 calendar year, followed by Brazil at 18.8 million bags and Germany at 9.7 million bags, Osorio said.
   In the 2008/09 crop year, the ICO projected Brazil's production at 46 million bags, with Vietnam harvesting 16 million bags and Colombia at 10.5 million bags.
 (Reporting by Marcy Nicholson; Editing by David Gregorio)