Coffee output for the year 2013-14 has dropped due to unfavourable weather conditions in key growing areas of Karnataka. According to information gathered by the Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) from its members, for the current harvesting season which has just ended (2013-14), the production of coffee beans (Arabica and Robusta about together) is 280,000 tonnes, 12 per cent lower than the previous year. In 2012-13, India had produced 318,200 tonnes. The current year’s production is also lower by 10 per cent compared to the Coffee Board’s post-monsoon estimation of 347,000 tonnes.
The reason for the drop is attributed to a long spell of drought after receiving blossom showers, followed by an extremely harsh monsoon in India.
The monsoon started on time but continued unabated, with some areas witnessing continuous rainfall for 60 days and more due to back to back low intensity cyclonic storms such as Lehar. Nishant R Gurjer, former chairman of KPA and a grower said that the crop suffered the twin disaster of drought during March and April 2013 and then, continuous heavy rain during the monsoon.
A report published in a national daily quoted Ramesh Rajah, president, Coffee Exporters’ Association of India saying that they had seen two years of good crop. This year, it is on a lower side by at least 20 per cent. The final estimates are yet to come. The drop was due to unfavourable weather conditions in major growing areas. It would be mostly below 300,000 tonnes. Karnataka accounts for 72 per cent of national coffee production.
