Colombia Coffee Output Dropped 27% Last 12 Months; Exports Fell 18% 13/04/2012

Colombia Coffee Output Dropped 27% Last 12 Months; Exports Fell 18% Colombia's coffee production fell 27% during the 12-monthperiod through March, the National Federation of Coffee Growers, or Fedecafe,said Friday.   Production totaled 7.040 million 60-kilogram bags from April 2011 throughMarch 2012, compared with 9.582 million bags during the 12 months prior, itsaid.   Exports also dropped, declining 18% to 6.999 million bags during the past 12months through March, compared with 8.537 million bags previously.   The coffee federation blames the declining production numbers on heavy rainsin late 2010 and 2011 related to the La Nina weather pattern. Colombia producesaround 11 million bags of coffee in a good year.   It also has said a three-year-old program to refresh many coffee fields withnew plantings contributed to lower production in 2011 as these fields aren'tyet in their productive stage.