A bag of arabica closed at R$ 1,572 on Friday, against R$ 992 for robusta; altitude, yield and flavor explain the gap
On Friday, October 2, a 60-kilogram bag of arabica coffee was worth R$ 1,572.01 on the Cepea indicator, from Esalq/USP. A bag of robusta coffee, also called conilon, went for R$ 992.41. The gap, of about 58%, is no market accident: the two species Brazil grows thrive in different places, yield differently and end up in different cups.
Arabica has been recovering after September's drop. On the 25th, the same indicator stood at R$ 1,538.29; in one week, it rose just over 2%.
Arabica (Coffea arabica) prefers altitude and a milder climate. It is concentrated in the South and the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, the Zona da Mata, São Paulo, Paraná and the Chapada Diamantina in Bahia, according to Monitor Mercantil, based on Conab data. Conilon (Coffea canephora) withstands more heat and drought and dominates the lowlands of Espírito Santo, Rondônia, Bahia and Mato Grosso.
Conilon's advantage is yield. Last season, it covered 400,000 hectares and produced 20.8 million bags, an average of 52 bags per hectare; arabica needed 1.5 million hectares for 35.7 million bags, about 24 per hectare, according to Conab figures cited by Monitor Mercantil. More coffee per hectare helps explain the lower price.
Conilon has almost twice the caffeine of arabica, a stronger and more bitter flavor and a heavier body, and it is the base of instant coffee, capsules and industrial blends, according to Monitor Mercantil. Arabica, for its part, is the coffee behind labels that advertise “100% arabica.”
In 2026, arabica also weighs more in the harvest. On September 24, Conab estimated a record crop of 67.6 million bags, up 19.6%. Arabica should reach 48.2 million bags, 34.8% more than in 2025, driven by a positive biennial year. Conilon, meanwhile, should fall 6.6%, to 19.4 million bags, with a 14.3% drop in Espírito Santo, the largest producer, and a 24% rise in Rondônia.
In the Bebidário catalog, two examples of arabica-only coffee:
Sources: Cepea/Esalq-USP (October 2, 2026), Conab via Agência Gov (September 24, 2026), Monitor Mercantil (April 22, 2026).
