Wary Coffee Board postpones revised output forecast

The coffee-growing regions witnessed for the second consecutive year a drought initially followed by incidences of WSB pest and heavy spell of monsoon rains

A cautious Coffee Board Chairman Jawaid Akhtar shied away from giving a revised estimate of bean production for the coming crop year (October 2014-September 2015), as the previous projection went awry.

“I will not repeat the information about our forecast made a couple of months ago. Broadly, crop prospects are looking good,” he told planters at the 121st annual conference of United Planters’ Association of Southern India.

For the post-blossom estimates of crop year 2014-15, the Board has projected production of 344,500 tonnes.

“There are two negative factors. On account of a consecutive year of drought, we are witnessing a cumulative effect of (the) White Stem Borer (pest), which affected 3.5 million coffee plants during the first flight period. This was followed by continuous and heavy rains, which adversely affected plantations in patches in different parts of Karnataka,” said Akhtar.

In its post-blossom estimates for the crop year 2013-14, Akhtar projected 347,000 tonnes. He later revised it downwards by 10 per cent. Actual production for 2013-14, however, was 304,500 tonnes.

Planters said they disagreed on output for the current year (2014-15). They estimate between 290,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes, since prevailing conditions are the same as last year.

“Continuous rains from July to September have led to cherry droppings in several estates. There are possibilities of black rot disease in many places, which might adversely affect production this year as well,” D Govindappa Jayaram, president, Karnataka Planters’ Association, told Business Standard.

Jayaram also said White Stem Borer had severely affected Arabica plantations and growers fear production might decline to 60,000 tonnes of this variety as against 105,500 tonnes projected by the Board. The latter will issue post-monsoon estimates next month, close to commencement of the harvest season. Akhtar said about 50 per cent of the area in Karnataka recorded high incidence (more than 25 plants per acre) of White Stem Borer. About 9.5 million plants are likely to be removed (about 3,200 hectares or three per cent of the Arabica area) in the state.