India cuts coffee output estimate on poor monsoon rains - Board

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India is likely to produce 316,700 tonnes of coffee in 2016/17, down 1 percent from an earlier estimate, as production of arabica has been revised downward due to poor monsoon rains, the state-run Coffee Board said in a statement on Thursday.

The country is likely to produce 96,200 tonnes of arabica coffee in the 2016/17 marketing year that started on Oct. 1, down from the earlier estimate of 100,000 tonnes, while production of robusta is pegged at 220,500 tonnes, the Board said.

The country's coffee production in the year would be 9 percent lower than last year's 348,000 tonnes, it said.

India exports three-quarters of its production. Italy, Germany and Belgium are the main buyers of India's crop.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)