Excess rainfall in key coffee growing areas of Karnataka has hit plantations badly and growers expect the output to shrink by 10-30 per cent over initial crop estimates.
production hit
Heavy and continuous rainfall in coffee growing regions of Coorg, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts has triggered berry droppings and fungal disease black rot of coffee, which is seen affecting the production.
These three districts accounted for over 72 per cent of the country’s coffee output of 3.18 lakh tonnes last year.
The Coffee Board in its post-blossom forecast for 2013-14 had projected an output of 3.47 lakh tonnes, a nine per cent increase over last year’s 3.18 lakh tonnes.
The output of arabica, a milder and premium variety was projected to increase by 13 per cent to 1.11 lakh tonnes, while robusta was expected to grow 7.5 per cent at 2.36 lakh tonnes.
excess rains
“We expect the output to decline by about 20-30 per cent over the Coffee Board’s initial estimates as excess rains have caused damage to plantations,” said H.T. Mohankumar, General Secretary of Karnataka Growers Federation, in Sakleshpur of Hassan district.
KGF, which represents the small coffee growers in the State, estimates the 2013-14 crop at around 2.8 lakh tonnes.
lower output
“The continuing drizzle across the coffee growing areas has triggered black rot disease” Mohankumar added.
Anil Bhandari, a large coffee grower, said the arabica output will be lower by about 10,000-15,000 tonnes this year due to heavy infestation of white stem borer during April-May.
Also, the berry dropping due to excess rains in several pockets will bring down the robusta output by 15,000-20,000 tonnes.
“The overall output this year will barely touch around lakh lakh tonnes,” Bhandari said.
Coorg, Hassan
Officials at the Coffee Board admit that heavy rains this year have affected the plantations mainly in parts of Coorg and Hassan.
Though berry drop of 6-7 per cent is common during the monsoon period, this year it is slightly more.
However, officials said it is too early to estimate the losses as the monsoon rains are still continuing and will go on till end-September.
The Board normally comes out with post-monsoon estimates sometime in November every year.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the country has received 14 per cent excess rains till August 16, since the onset in June.
The south interior Karnataka, where most of the coffee growing regions fall, has received 30 per cent more rains this year.