The Hindu Business Line : Rains could have a final say on coffee production

Chennai, July 12 Coffee production during 2007-08 crop year starting November is likely to be affected by continuous rains in the growing regions and it could be lower than post-blossom projections of 2.91 lakh tonnes by the Coffee Board.

The Board has now made the post-blossom estimates (based on the development of the plant after flowering), with arabica accounting for 1.007 lakh tonnes and robusta 1.90 lakh tonnes. The projections are against estimates of 2.88 lakh tonnes (99,700 tonnes arabica and 1.88 lakh tonnes robusta during the current season.

Coffee Board officials said the projections could be revised based on the survey they make after the end of the monsoon period. Last year, the post-monsoon survey saw the production being pruned from the initial estimate of 3.03 lakh tonnes.

Heavy rains

The figures had to be scaled down due to heavy rains in the growing areas and incidences of the white stem borer. The officials’ view of a revision in the production figures stems from the previous experience.

“It is too early to make a correct estimate of the production. The Coffee Board is collecting the figures. Initially, there was a long dry spell during May that lasted till June first week. Then, we have had excess rains during the last three weeks,” said Mr A.S. Muthanna, Chairman of the Coffee Committee of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India.

“We have to assess the settings before we can draw any conclusion on the crop size,” he said.

‘Wet feet’

Initially, the planters had been expecting that production could top three lakh tonnes since the crop had good rest before pre-monsoon showers. Also, hopes were high this year as it is an “on” one for coffee, which could see production coming good. Coffee is a crop that sees production dip every alternate year.

Planter sources said rains during the last three weeks were “too much and too quick”. Robusta growing areas have witnessed heavy rains and as a result, it has led to the plant suffering from “wet feet”, wherein the roots are damaged when they receive excess water.

“Wet feet in robustas has led to dropping of the berries. There is not much damage to the arabicas as they have deeper roots,” the sources said.

Problems

According to them, some places in Karnataka’s Kodagu region, which accounts for 50 per cent of the total robusta production in the country, have received heavy rainfall during the last three weeks. “Plants in areas such as Madikeri and Napakolu have been affected,” they said.

On the other hand, arabica plants continue to be haunted by the white stem borer menace. “Despite the Coffee Board’s best efforts to end the menace, the pest still affects the plants,” they said.

The borer menace has been one of the reasons that has pulled down arabica production in the last couple of years.

As for the Coffee Board’s projections, production in Karnataka is expected to rise by 6,000 tonnes to 2.12 lakh tonnes (arabica 82,000 tonnes, robusta 1.30 lakh tonnes).

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