One of the big news stories in the coffee world of late is the plight of the crops of the Central American coffee growers.

We have reported previously on the issue of coffee rust and the scale of the disease is now significant.

What is it?

A parasitic fungus. It affects coffee plant leaves and can be devastating for the coffee plant.

What has happened?

Coffee rust has been a huge problem for the Central American countries of late.

Guatemala declared that the disease had created a state of national emergency last February.

The other significant countries to produce coffee (that is to say, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama and El Salvador) also suffered from outbreaks of the disease.

How has this affected the coffee output?

Production in the regions has dropped by 15% last year.

The next coffee harvest is due to start in October and the International Coffee Organisation has suggested that losses could fall to 50%.

Of course, the coffee industry feels the knock-on effect of the disease.

Almost 400,000 people are said to have lost work as a result in the fall in coffee production.

So why this year for the dominance of the fungus?

Some suggest that climate change may be a contributing factor.

As temperatures become warmer, land at higher elevations and in northern areas becomes warmer and more suitable for the development of the disease.