Coffee exports decline 15% in Oct-Dec

India's coffee exports declined by 15 per cent to 58,598 tonnes in the first three months of the ongoing 2011-12 coffee year, according to the latest data.

The country had shipped 68,740 tonnes abroad in October-December, the Coffee Board data shows.

“Coffee exports from India were around 58,598 tonnes in the first quarter of the current coffee year (October-September),” a Coffee Board official said.

The data shows that exports from India declined by seven per cent to 20,000 tonnes in December, from 21,576 tonnes in the year-ago period after witnessing a rebound in November.

India’s coffee exports had surged by 22 per cent to 19,403 tonnes in November, from 15,927 tonnes in the corresponding year-ago period.

However, foreign shipment declined by 20 per cent to 19,195 tonnes in October, from 24,119 tonnes in the same period of the previous year.

Nevertheless, exports rose by 28 per cent to an estimated 350,000 tonnes in the 2011 calender year from 274,000 tonnes in the 2010 calendar year.

In FY11, abroad shipments of the brew rose by 50 per cent to 294,000 tonnes from 196,000 tonnes in the 2009-10 financial year.

However, the Board expects exports to be lower in the current financial year. The board estimates coffee exports to decrease by 14 per cent to 240,000-250,000 tonnes in FY12 from 294,000 tonnes in FY11.

India mostly exports coffee to Italy, Germany, Russia, Belgium and Spain.