As the leading coffee producer and exporter in the world, Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry is beginning to question the 2012 harvest of coffee beans in some of its coffee regions.

A cold winter in the Southern Hemisphere is believed to have lasting effects on the crop. Brazilian winters are typically very dry which makes it a perfect climate for growing coffee beans as coffee beans need an extended dry season and an extended wet season.

However, this winter has been even dryer than usual, instilling fear in many coffee farmers. Coffee beans require a dry season but also need some moisture to keep the coffee trees strong.

Crop forecasters are waiting until mid-October to see if the typically rainy season begins. They believe that if rain starts by this time the 2012 coffee bean crop could recover and produce a strong harvest come 2012.

Read the full story about this drought at MarketWatch.com