Earthquake near Indonesia triggers rise in coffee futures

Fault line falls in wake of tsunami

By Walt Breitinger
Times Correspondent

Partially spurred by an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, coffee futures rose last Monday as traders pondered how much damage might have occurred to the coffee production there.

The earthquake, measuring an 8.7-magnitude, took place near the major coffee producer on the same fault lines as the December 26 tsunami.

However, some traders doubted that it inflicted any injury to coffee since the December quake did not hamper production. As predicted by those bearish market participants, Indonesia's coffee industry was reported minimally impacted by the earthquake, hence leading the market lower on Tuesday.

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Coffee Fest Las Vegas: June 3-5

The best trade show value in the coffee industry just keeps getting stronger. Educational offerings have increased by 33%, topping 60, the admission price is only $20 per person. Don’t miss this incredible gathering, June 3-5, 2005 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall S1.

Coffee Fest continues to do everything possible to provide the best value available today for any retail coffee trade show attendee, exhibitor or sponsor. In terms of return on investment, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors can expect the best bang for their buck at Coffee Fest Trade Shows. Coffee Fest is a terrific opportunity to see the latest products and network with your peers.

Early Bird registration closes May 13, 2005. Register today by visiting www.coffeefest.com or calling 425 283-5058.

Early Bird Registration at CoffeeFest.com

Florida to get coffee plantation

BY NIKKI WALLER
The Miami Herald

Florida coffee drinkers may soon wake up to a Broward-grown brew.

J.C. Nadeau, as if an alchemist-turned-coffee-roaster, is betting his locally grown coffee will be tastier and more pure than pricier blends.

The Coconut Creek resident is importing Colombian coffee plants that are customized for Florida's unique soil. Within the next week, he says, a caffeinated crop will go into the ground on a leased, 10-acre patch of farmland in western Davie.

State farm officials are closely watching Nadeau's progress. If he succeeds, his would be the first commercial coffee plantation in Florida.

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Buy the cup: Single-serve coffee systems percolate

By Jennifer Heldt Powell
Sunday, March 27, 2005 - Updated: 12:07 AM EST

There is a revolution brewing in the coffee industry the likes of which hasn't been seen since baseball great Joe DiMaggio hawked the automatic drip coffee maker for Mr. Coffee in the 1970s: single-serve coffee machines.
No more wasted pots of coffee. No more having to brew one high octane and one decaf. No more turning to instant if you want just one cup.
"People don't want a whole pot of coffee and they want a perfect cup of coffee," said Jay Brewer, founder of a Web log dedicated to the single-serve phenomenon.

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