Inevitable rise of coffee prices

[Anchor]

Since the beginning of the year, coffee prices have been rising.

This is due to a decrease in bean harvests caused by abnormal weather, leading to a sharp increase in prices, along with rising exchange rates.

Reporter Lee Soo-yeon has the details.

[Report]

Among low-cost coffee brands, this company has been the only remaining franchise to sell Iced Americanos at 1,5000 won, but will be raising the price by 300 won starting from the 13th.

Although it is the first increase in 10 years, consumers feel disappointed.

[Song Yoo-joo/Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul: "As coffee prices go up, I tend to use cheaper places for takeout. Prices have gone up even for low-cost coffee, so I've been drinking a bit less."]

Major coffee companies like Starbucks have already raised their prices last month due to the impact of high exchange rates.

The situation is even more difficult for small cafes operated by individuals.

A personal cafe that roasts its own beans and serves coffee.

They have been selling specialized coffee for 15 years, but they say the current situation is unprecedented.

[Heo Yoon-young/Cafe owner for 15 years: "I think this is the first time I'm actually feeling the price of beans rise this much. I'm very sorry to the customers, but it's hard to operate without raising the price of coffee...."]

International coffee bean prices have doubled over the past year, reaching an all-time high.

This is largely due to a significant decrease in coffee production in Brazil and Vietnam caused by abnormal weather.

There are also analyses suggesting that the anticipation of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration has led to speculative demand, further driving up international prices.

[Jeon Hye-jin/Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Hanyang Cyber University: "I think we can only speculate that the price has risen more due to demand in preparation for the tariff policies of the Trump administration."]

The international price of cocoa has also doubled over the past year, indicating that price increases for related products such as chocolate snacks are on the horizon.

This is KBS News, Lee Soo-yeon reporting.