Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2025 at 6:00 PM ESTBookmarkSaveCoffee’s dizzying rally which saw prices surge more than 90% in the past year has already hurt demand in most major markets consumption is even starting to waver in the places where it was making a last stand With feeble demand growth in the US and Europe’s high-income countries the industry has become increasingly reliant on consumers in emerging economies But there are early signs that once-booming consumption is starting to falter in those areas Four police officers and three suspected criminals were killed in the central Veracruz municipalities of Córdoba and Huatusco on Saturday sowing fear among residents who largely remained indoors on Sunday The first incident of violence came when an armed group began shooting at a state police station in the city of Huatusco at approximately 5:00 a.m Police officers pursued the aggressors in a chase that ended at about 7:30 a.m A gunfight ensued that left three suspected criminals another armed group attacked a municipal police watchtower near the Shangri-La Arch in Córdoba two state police officers were shot and killed while traveling on the La Luz Palotal-Los Cerezos highway in Córdoba state and municipal police as well as the National Guard launched an operation in response to the simultaneous attacks that resulted in the arrest of two suspects The violence in Huatusco and Córdoba followed the abduction and murder of a man believed to be linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on February 19 Córdoba municipal police are allegedly responsible for the forced disappearance and death of Gabriel Navarro Aceves most Córdoba residents chose to stay at home on Sunday “We’re living through a wave of violence … and we’re no longer free,” said a woman identified only as Leticia “We were walking around [the city] yesterday [Saturday] and heard about everything that happened and went home.” The streets of central Córdoba were largely empty on Sunday a rare sight for a day on which locals normally flock to the city’s downtown area to go shopping and spend time with family and friends including men’s and women’s soccer matches were canceled and many businesses closed due to state authorities’ activation of a code red alert with helicopters assisting surveillance and marines deployed to the area Municipal secretary Alfredo Hernández Ávila said that local authorities would ask for the bolstered security measures to remain in place for the foreseeable future security analyst Alejandro Hope said that Saturday’s violence had left a “trail of terror” in its wake He noted that Veracruz Governor Cuitláhuac García said Monday that the situation was under control and that state authorities had identified the aggressors Hope also acknowledged the state government’s announcement that two suspects had been arrested and that three pick-up trucks and several weapons had been seized the analyst said that he doubted that the issue of violence in central Veracruz had been resolved Hope contended that the criminal groups responsible for Saturday’s violence achieved a “double victory,” explaining that they directly challenged state forces and didn’t pay a particularly high price and that they effectively imposed a curfew on a city of 200,000 people they are winning the psychological war,” Hope wrote adding that reversing the criminals’ victory will take more than government statements and the arrest of a couple of suspected murderers He then set out a four-point strategy that he described as the minimum required for authorities to wrest back control from organized crime authorities need to implement “particularly vigorous” actions against not just the direct perpetrators of the violence but the specific group (believed to be the CJNG) behind the attacks He said that authorities must prioritize capturing the group’s leaders attacking their income sources and transferring certain prisoners to federal prisons Hope wrote that a bolstered security presence is required on the streets of Córdoba and neighboring municipalities he said that “the reactivation of accountability mechanisms” is necessary explaining that security task forces and citizens’ crime-watch committees can help to link authorities to some sectors of civil society as well as generate trustworthy information “At other times and in other spaces (Ciudad Juárez between 2010 and 2012 a mechanism of this nature was key to the recovery of a certain normality,” Hope wrote “a campaign to take back the streets” is needed asserting that all the cancelled events should be rescheduled and that more activities for residents should be added to the Córdoba social calendar He also said that special security operations could be carried out in areas with a high concentration of restaurants and bars “If the authorities don’t like these ideas “It’s not fair to allow an important city in a crucial state to become a hostage of terror imposed by a few criminals Source. El Sol de Córdoba (sp), El Universal (sp)  ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC as rain and hail the size of baseballs have fallen since Thursday afternoon MEXICO CITY (AA) — Torrential rains and floods have left at least seven dead and one young girl missing Rain and hail the size of baseballs have fallen since Thursday afternoon inundating hundreds of houses in the central highlands of Veracruz According to the state’s civil protection ministry mostly in vehicles carried by raging waters One victim has not yet been formally identified was rescued after water carried the cab car he was driving His wife and daughter who were also in the car The rivers in eight municipalities in the state continue to breach their banks The most affected municipalities are Ixtacozquitlan The civil protection ministry also said downed trees caused electricity outages Friday Three temporary shelters have been opened and have so far received 80 victims whose homes were flooded or damage by hailstones Legal Notice: Copyright Anadolu Agency (AA) Article cannot reproduced without prior permission Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList despite being the second largest producer of coffee in Mexico after Chiapas Veracruz’s coffee reputation is highly linked to low-quality beans used for instant coffee in particular the ubiquitous Nescafé brand But Veracruz is where coffee got its start in mainland America Coffee plants arrived at the port of Veracruz in the 18th century coffee made its way to other parts of Mexico and South America Veracruz was producing three-fourths of Mexico’s coffee land redistribution in the 1930s and other economic activities such as oil has since pushed this percentage down Veracruz accounts for only 24% of Mexico’s coffee production Veracruz has 10 regions north to south that can grow the bean and it is still a vital cash crop in 842 communities in 82 municipalities most are very small producers with small plots who feverishly try to get as much coffee out of them as possible to survive a lot of that production is of the low-quality robusta bean for mainstream commercial coffees Robusta is relatively easy to grow and has ready customers Veracruz has areas suited for the growing of quality and even superb coffees Varying between 700 and 1,400 meters in altitude This area not only has the climate that arabica beans need but also volcanic soils that impart an intense aroma and full body along with spice notes It is not easy to get the farmers of this region to take full advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer. Daniel Cobilt of Finca Cañada Fría admits that many are afraid of the risks of venturing into high-quality and specialty beans Serious work is needed at the learning and growing end and there is no guarantee that the final crop will be ranked as “specialty” or gourmet quality after harvesting Arriaga and more have won national and international awards opening doors to markets willing to pay much more because small plots really cannot compete with large plantations on price — nor should they The other way to make the most out of small farms is agricultural and ecotourism The good thing is that the area is mostly free of kitschy zip-line attractions and the like but almost all the coffee tourism here steers visitors to Córdoba you can drive along a marked road and find signs advertising farms with restaurants stores selling chocolate and even short demonstrations of how chocolate is grown and processed There is nothing like this in northern Veracruz To do more than just sit at a cafe in one of the cities on the route requires a little research and planning The Museo de Café in Córdoba —  a collaborative effort sponsored in part by Mexico’s main agricultural college the University of Chapingo — gives a quick overview of coffee in Mexico and Veracruz visits right now are via guided tours given by only one professional you need to go to the museum and find out when the next tour is you can go in and buy coffees from the region The museum has a special line of Café de Autor (signature coffees) labeled with the producer’s name — usually individual farm owners unable to market the finished product these coffees are not available for purchase online A few fincas and entrepreneurs have their own tours which must be arranged before you come to the area as many here are still very fearful of COVID despite the fact that mask-wearing has become optional in most places Your best bet for finding a farm tour is with El Café-tal which has its main facilities in El Grande near Coatepec Other tours, also by appointment, include those run by Finca Arriaga, Finca Don Silvano  and Finca San Felipe. Cafe de Mi Rancho runs its tours out of Córdoba It is mostly the same story with online sales but almost always to other cafes and specialty stores El Café-tal is the only site set up to sell to individuals but they assume customers will call to find out everything they need to know There is no lack of good cafes in the towns on the coffee route: Coatepec But one off the beaten track is well worth the visit: Finca Cañada Fria opened what they call a “specialty bar” to demonstrate the extraordinary coffee they produce a municipality surrounded by coffee farms but unknown to tourism you can find the cafe easily on Google Maps One last piece of advice: if you drive on the main highway into Orizaba and Córdoba keep an eye out for people selling “galletas de café” on the side of the road Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019) Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily BusinessCoffee Falls Most in Two Months But Remains Above $4 a PoundBy Maddie Parker and Ilena PengPublished: February 11, 2025 at 10:10AM EST (Bloomberg) -- Coffee futures fell by the most in two months after earlier marking a fresh all-time high, with supply concerns still the dominant theme in the market. The most-active arabica contract in New York jumped as much as 2.1% to reach a record of $4.2995 a pound on Tuesday, before heading lower by as much as 4.8%. That’s the biggest dip since Dec. 2. Still, prices remain above $4 a pound, a milestone the premium bean reached last week. Prices for the variety have doubled in the past year, with the market driven higher by worries over shortfalls from top producer Brazil and concerns over the quality of next season’s harvest. But “the possibility of sharp pullback remains given the volatility of the market,” Sucden Financial broker Harry Howard said in a note. Adverse weather continues to pose a threat to Brazilian crops, with its biggest arabica coffee growing region receiving below-normal rainfall last week. Limited rains and low soil moisture, unfavorable for cherry growth, are expected to persist over the next week, according to forecaster Maxar Technologies Inc. New buyer interest above $4 “should be reduced somewhat as long as there are no bullish inputs,” but that’s unlikely given concerns over US tariffs, according to a Tuesday note from Sucafina SA. Still, a recent uptick in arabica inventories in exchange-monitored warehouses may provide some relief to the market. Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved A MEXICAN beauty queen is languishing in jail after being arrested on suspicion of belonging to a kidnap gang. Laura Mojica Romero, 25, has been warned she faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the crimes she has been held on. Laura was crowned Miss Oaxaca 2018 in a regional beauty contest in Mexico, and 2020 International Queen of Coffee beauty pageant in Colombia. New photographs of the university graduate, who first made a name for herself as Miss Earth Oaxaca 2015, are now doing the rounds again. But this time the snaps are her police mugshots. The photos published by Mexican prosecutors show Romero alongside pictures of the seven other suspects held with her. Laura, one of three women and five men arrested, has been identified only by her first name in a statement released by investigators in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz. The statement described her as one of “eight alleged members of a criminal organisation specialising in kidnap”.  Prosecutors said an elite anti-kidnap unit had acted to ensure there was “no truce for people who cause serious harm to Veracruz.” They added: “The capture of Luis Antonio “N”; Raúl “N”; María del Rosario “N”; Ana Martha “N”; Laura “N”; César Enrique “N”; Diego "N" and Jossiel "N" took place in Veracruz when personnel specialized in tackling kidnapping carried out an operation to capture those now linked to this judicial investigation. “The eight alleged kidnappers have been remanded in custody for two months while the investigation continues.” Laura is understood to have been held in Huatusco, in Veracruz. The model defined herself as “more than just a pretty face” in an interview in January 2019 after her Miss Oaxaca triumph. said her priorities included tackling the problem of violence against women we have to eradicate violence against women through campaigns and educational talks that make men aware of this issue,” she said She was described at the time as a fluent English speaker and a spokeswoman in the fight against breast cancer and leukaemia Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ but from here on out his death will have paid off." Efraín belives that Gibrán's death had a purpose which was to zero in on the violence of México and force authorities to change and make it a safer environment Gibrán Martiz, who was a contestant of "La Voz México 3," has been found dead in Veracruz after he was reported missing on Jan. 7. The body of Martiz and an unnamed underage victim were found Saturday nightafter police received reports of a shooting on the Huatusco-Conejos highway When authorities arrived at the scene two vehicles were spotted and resisted to be inspected and that's when they started firing back After police took control over the situation they examined the place and found the bodies of Martiz and the other victims "If they investigate thoroughly that this is a case of corruption this will help to better and clean house from corrupt people to the benefit of everyone." He also said that his son was an example for the youth for aspiring musicians