Sluggish rain likely to lower coffee output by 8% in 2016-17

Country's coffee production is projected to slip by 8 per cent to 3.20 lakh tonnes in the 2016-17 marketing year due to sluggish rains, state-run Coffee Board said.

Coffee production in India, the world's sixth largest coffee producer, has touched a record 3.48 lakh tonnes in the ongoing 2015-16 marketing year (October-September).

"The post blossom crop forecast for 2016-17 is placed at 3.20 lakh tonnes. This is an overall decrease of 8.05 per cent over the final production estimate of this year," the Coffee Board said.

Of the total, production of Arabica variety of coffee is estimated at 1,00,000 tonnes in 2016-17 as against 1,03,500 tonnes this year, while that of Robusta is pegged at 2,20,000 tonnes as against 2,44,500 tonnes in the said period, it added.

"The reduction in post-blossom estimate of 2016-17 could be mainly attributed to the delayed blossom and backing showers coupled with high temperatures especially in major coffee growing areas of Karnataka and to some extent in Kerala," the Board said.

Apart from adverse weather conditions, the 2016-17 is an off-year for coffee crop in the country as the current year happened to be a bumper year with an all-time record of highest crop, it observed.

The fall in coffee output in 2016-17 is mainly coming from Karnataka and Kerala.

According to the Board, coffee output in Karnataka is estimated to be down by 22,175 tonnes to 2,29,345 tonnes as against 2,51,520 tonnes in 2015-16.

The production fall is estimated in all coffee-growing districts in the state. Maximum fall is estimated to be in Kodagu, followed by Chikmagalur and Hassan.

In Kerala, mainly a Robusta producer, coffee output is pegged at 62,440 tonnes, down 9.81 per cent from this year's 69,230 tonnes.

However, in Tamil Nadu, coffee output may rise marginally to 17,560 tonnes from 17,295 tonnes this year.

In non-traditional areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as well as in North Eastern Region, the coffee output is projected to be slightly higher at 10,655 tonnes as against 9,955 tonnes this year.

India accounts for only 4-5 per cent of the world's output, but exports 70-80 per cent of its produce. Italy, Russia and Germany are the top three buyers of Indian coffee.