Peru battles beetle that saps coffee crop

Reuters
By Robin Emmott

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - In the Altomayo valley in northern Peru, coffee farmer Walter Pizango breaks open a ripe coffee cherry with his fingers to reveal a tiny beetle eating away at the bean inside, part of an invading army that is quietly destroying his coffee crop.

The dreaded borer beetle, which saps nutrients in coffee trees, cuts production and damages coffee quality, is becoming a plague across Peru, South America's No. 3 coffee producer.

The Altomayo valley in northern Peru is one of the worst affected and the problem, considered to be the worst in many years, could cost Peru's coffee industry $20 million in lost sales this year, according to the National Coffee Board, which represents growers.

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