Coffee growers in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of the bean, have harvested 40 percent of the current season’s crop after delays caused by rain, the Brazilian Coffee Council, known as CNC, said today.

The rain has compromised quality of this season’s crop and also caused early flowering for the 2012-2013 season, said CNC in a report sent by e-mail.

The early flowering may hurt next season’s production and Brazil may have “worse than expected” output, CNC.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mario Sergio Lima in Brasilia Newsroom at mlima11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net