As demand swells, Robusta beans prices rise to $2,200 per tonne

Economic slowdown forces customers to switch from Arabica to less expensive coffee

The price of Robusta, a major variety of coffee grown in the country, has increased by a little more than 57 per cent year-on-year to $2,200 a tonne, after a spell of price drops and bad weather.

Growers said that this will help them to break even, but production has dropped 20 per cent.

Ramesh Rajah, president of the Coffee Exporters Association, said the price had touched $2,200 a tonne from $1,400 a year ago. 

The current price is the highest in the past 52 weeks.

The price increase was mainly because of the demand exceeding the supply. Traditionally the demand for Arabica varieties,