Paraguay’s Coffee Market Tops US$59 Million As Local Growers Revive Production

Paraguay’s coffee market exceeded US$59 million between September 2025 and August 2026, according to research by Paraguayan local market-research consultancy CCR. During the same period, sales reached approximately 1,350 tonnes, while market value increased by almost 13%. Meanwhile, small-scale growers in the departments of Canindeyú and Cordillera continue cultivating coffee, as Paraguay seeks to strengthen its domestic production.

The latest CCR Store Audit data shows that market value grew faster than sales volume. While revenue increased by nearly 13%, the amount of coffee sold rose by just 3%. This difference highlights the changing economics of the Paraguay coffee market, although the figures alone do not establish the reasons behind the gap.

Consumer preferences also shape the sector. Instant coffee accounted for 52% of total volume, while ground coffee represented 46%. Coffee capsules made up the remaining 2%, demonstrating their comparatively small share of the market.

Within the instant coffee segment, regular varieties dominated, accounting for 84% of volume. Meanwhile, mixed coffee products represented 10%, while premium and decaffeinated varieties each held 3%. These figures illustrate how traditional formats continue to dominate the Paraguay coffee market.

Beyond retail sales, Paraguay has opportunities to develop its own coffee-growing industry. Small producers in Canindeyú and Cordillera are maintaining plantations and exploring ways to commercialise locally grown beans. However, domestic cultivation remains distinct from the processing of imported coffee.

That distinction matters because roasting, grinding and packaging coffee locally do not necessarily mean producers grew the beans in Paraguay. Therefore, understanding the country’s coffee industry requires examining both agricultural production and commercial processing.

Paraguay also has a history of coffee cultivation. Historical records cited in local reporting indicate that the country had approximately 20,000 hectares of coffee plantations in 1974. Over time, disease, climatic conditions, prices and competition from other crops contributed to the sector’s decline.

Today, initiatives in Altos, Cordillera, and Corpus Christi, Canindeyú, seek to preserve that agricultural tradition. Some combine cultivation with processing and sales, while also offering seedlings and seeds to prospective growers.

Geography also influences Paraguay’s coffee market. According to CCR, Asunción and Greater Asunción accounted for 61% of coffee volume sold during the reporting period. The country’s interior represented the remaining 39%.

Retail variety also differed between these areas. Shops nationwide carried an average of 8.6 coffee brands, compared with 11.8 in Asunción and Greater Asunción. By contrast, shops in the interior stocked an average of 7.5 brands.

Together, these figures reveal a market with substantial commercial activity but an emerging domestic agricultural sector. Sustaining local plantations, managing production risks and expanding distribution channels could help Paraguayan growers strengthen their position. Nevertheless, the scale of national production requires further documentation before its contribution to the market becomes clear.…Read more by Belen Servín