Blossom showers raise hopes of better coffee output in 2015-16

Most of growing regions in Karnataka, which account for 70% of India's coffee output, have received satisfactory blossom and backing showers

Timely blossoming and backing showers in the country’s key coffee growing regions have raised the prospects of a better crop for 2015-16. Though the state-run Coffee Board is yet to come out with the blossom estimates or early projections of the crop, planters are optimistic that the October 2015-September 2016 crop year will be better the just harvested.

“Early showers that occur in March and backing showers in April are crucial for coffee crop. Most of the growing regions have received satisfactory pre-blossom showers, which is much better compared to previous years. Backing showers were slightly early this year, but in most of the areas rains were fairly good,” Kurian K, chairman, Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA) said.

By early indications, the crop for the coming crop season will be fairly better than the last year. Production for 2015-16 could be better for both Arabica and Robusta varieties, he said.

For the year 2014-15, the Coffee Board had projected 331,000 tonnes of bean production, with Arabica and Robusta output at 99,600 tonnes and 231,400 tonnes, respectively. However, the KPA has estimated Arabica production at much lower level of below 70,000 tonnes due to widespread attack of White Stem Borer (WSB) pest across the growing regions in Karnataka. Karnataka accounts for 70 per cent of national bean output.

The harvest for the 2014-15 season has been completed and the planters’ body has estimated the production at little over 300,000 tonnes. The Coffee Board comes out with its final estimates for the year and projections for the 2015-16 crop in its post-blossom study.

“In Kodagu district, around 80 per cent of the growing areas have received good blossom showers in the month of March, which is favourable for the crop. Siddapur, Madikeri, Chattahalli, Suntikoppa have received good amount of showers in March. We need to get good backing showers in April to get a better crop for the coming season,” said Bose Mandanna, a planter in Kodagu.

Even Hassan and Chikkamagaluru have received good blossom showers in March, he said.

In 2015-16, Arabica crop has an “on-year” and naturally the crop will be higher than last year, the planter said, adding that the exact projections could be made in a month’s time.

“It is too early to make exact projections on the crop for 2015-16. But we are expecting the crop to bounce back this year compared to the just concluded harvest season,” Kurian added.

Recently, the Coffee Board controlled Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) has claimed a major breakthrough in its research to find a solution for the deadly WSB pest that has devastated Arabica plantations for nearly 100 years. CCRI carried out a series of field trials during 2014 to find out ways and means of killing the stages of coffee stem borer within the affected plants so as to prevent spread of infestation.

In view of the very encouraging results in the preliminary trials, the CCRI has planned elaborate multi-location field trails during the pre-monsoon flight season of this year (April-May 2015) to validate the results on a large scale.