Coffee exports dip by 17.58 % in first 4 months of 2009

India's coffee exports have nosedived by 17.58 % in the first four months of 2009 to 73,947 tonnes, with a major fall seen in the shipments of arabica variety, the Coffee Board has said.     

Coffee exports stood at 89,720 tonnes in the same period last year, it said.In value terms, total coffee exports fell to Rs 795 crore during January-April against Rs 921.96 crore in the year-ago period, according to the data of the Coffee Board.     

Exports of arabica and robusta, two of the finest coffee varieties, declined during the review period. The overseas sale of arabica dipped by over 30 % to 16,473 tonnes so far this year, from 23,716 tonnes in the year-ago period, it said. 

Similarly, export of robusta coffee, which has twice the caffeine of arabica, dipped marginally to 41,441 tonnes against 44,010 tonnes in the last year, the data showed.       

As far as instant coffee is concerned, their exports showed a slight fall of 10,611 tonnes, compared with 11,396 tonnes in the last year. Even the re-export of coffee declined significantly by 48.8 % to 5,422 tonnes, it said.        I

ndia exports coffee to Italy, Russia, Germany, Belgium and Arab countries.