The Hindu Business Line : Fertiliser shortage may hit coffee output next year

“The impact of non-application of fertiliser would be felt next year and the crop would be less,” Dr Jacob Thomas, a senior agriculture scientist and planter told Business Line on Thursday.

“Added to this is the very high price of plant protection materials such as copper sulphate, which is very commonly used in plantations. Price of this product has shot manifold in the last 3-4 years,” he said.

In fact, he said, it was almost like rationing of fertilisers.

Besides, the transportation cost has also shot up. “Apart from the higher cost input and infrastructure constraints have become major hurdle before the agriculturists,” he said, adding the difference between the product cost and input cost is so thin that the net profit for the farmer has become very marginal.

Arabica to suffer

According to Mr Thomas, the robusta crop in the Kodagu region is good because of favourable climatic conditions during blossoming period.

However, the arabica crop is likely to have problems if the current rains in the area continued.

Meanwhile, fertiliser industry sources said because of the exorbitant cost of raw materials most of the manufacturing units, mainly in the private sector, had stopped production till July as the subsidy offered by the Centre was quite meagre.

They said the cost of imported raw materials in recent months shot up manifold.

Fertiliser cos in red

Rock phosphate price has gone up from $60 tonne to $400, while that of sulphate has rocketed from $80 a tonne to $800.

Internationally, fertiliser prices increased five-fold in recent months.

The price of DAP has risen to Rs 60,000 a tonne where as in India it was to be sold at Rs 9,350 a tonne.

As against the international price of Rs 25,000 for a tonne of urea, the selling price here was Rs 4,830 a tonne.

At the same time till July the subsidy component was not calculated realistically and that had pushed almost all the fertiliser companies into the red, they claimed“If the per capita consumption of coffee in the country increases to 100 gms, the demand would be huge making domesitc production insufficient,” he added.

Coffee Festival

Meanwhile, Mr Anil Kumar Bhandari, former President, UPASI, said an International Coffee Festival would be held in Bangalore during March 5-6, 2009.

The focus of the festival would be on “emerging new markets in the country and abroad”.

It is aimed at expansion of coffee consumption including instant coffee through retail trade. Exhibition, seminar, trade meet etc have been planned and it is being organised by the Coffee Board and the industry jointly, said Mr Bhandari.

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