Tokyo (VNA) – Vietnam, the world's biggestproducer of robusta, has become the top supplier of coffee beans for Japan asthe consumption of instant coffee, which uses robusta, is soaring there amidthe COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Nikkei Asia Review.

The newspaper reported that more people areworking at home during the pandemic, driving up demand for robusta coffeebeans, which are mainly used to make instant coffee. Meanwhile, sales of thehigher-quality arabica beans favoured by coffee shops have fallen. 

The trend has made Vietnam, the world’s toprobusta maker, Japan's top supplier of coffee beans and relegated Brazil tosecond place.

Japan's state of emergency, declared in early April,shuttered cafes and restaurants across the country, forcing Starbucks CoffeeJapan to halt business at some 1,100 outlets. The closures dealt a heavy blowto demand for arabica beans.

In contrast, demand for robusta, a cheaper andmore bitter variety used in instant coffee products, has been strong asCOVID-19 restrictions keep people at home. 

Demand for instant coffee has spiked. Sales ofinstant coffee products in the second quarter grew about 10 percent from a yearearlier, according to food processor Ajinomoto AGF.

Changes in consumption patterns have alsoaffected Japan's imports of unroasted coffee beans. 

Trade data show that Vietnam was the top sellerof unroasted beans to Japan for the first seven months of 2020. A total of 67,392tonnes of unroasted beans were imported from the Southeast Asian country duringthe period, up 26 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, imports from Brazil, mostly arabicabeans, plunged 40 percent during the period to 63,850 tonnes. 

This was the first time Japan’s imports fromVietnam outpaced those from Brazil. 

The Nikkei Asia Review quoted Shiro Ozawa, anadviser with Tokyo-based specialty coffee trader Wataru & Co., as sayingthat Vietnam is on track to top Brazil for the entire year and that this is ahistoric moment./.