Heavy rains in Karnataka may shrink coffee output

Incessant rainfall over key coffee growing regions of Karnataka, the largest producing State, has resulted in berry droppings that may impact the overall bean output for the next season starting October.

Harried growers in Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan are looking forward to a break from continuous precipitation that has also brought in diseases such as leaf rot and stalk rot to save their crop.

On Monday, the Coffee Board initiated a sample survey to assess the damage caused by heavy rains. “We will get a complete picture by the end of the week,” said Y Raghuramulu, Director of Research, Coffee Board.

“Rains have slowed today. Till last week, it rained heavily in some parts of coffee growing regions in Karnataka. The heavy rainfall has caused berry drop and the intensity has been very severe in the high rainfall zones,” Raghuramulu said.

Berry dropping of about 8-10 per cent during monsoon is normal. However, this year, due to heavy rainfall some areas have reported 20-25 per cent drop. “In the high rainfall zone, berry drop is to the extent of 30-40 per cent,” Raghuramulu added.

Karnataka accounts for over two-thirds of the around three lakh tonnes of coffee produced in the country. This year traditionally high rainfall areas of Bhagmandala and Madikeri in Kodagu, Mudigere in Chikmagalur and Sakleshpur in Hassan had to face the nature’s fury.

Large areas growing mainly the robusta variety around Napoklu, Virajpet and Gonikoppa have been affected, said N Bose Mandanna, former Vice-Chairman of Coffee Board and a planter in Kodagu.

“In some areas the dropping is about 20-25 per cent, while in places such as Murnad and B Shettigeri it is as high as 50 per cent. There is no possibility of a recovery,” he said.

Excess rainfall has also triggered leaf fall, thereby hurting the prospects for the next year’s crop too, Mandanna said, adding that a break in rains would help growers to take up preventive measures against diseases such as leaf rot and stalk rot.

“We have also got complaints of berry drop in cardamom areas,” Raghuramulu said.

The Coffee Board, in its post-blossom estimates, has projected a record crop of 3.44 lakh tonnes for the new season beginning October, a 13 per cent increase over current year. Total output of Arabicas is pegged at 1.05 lakh tonnes, while that of Robustas is forecast at 2.34 lakh tonnes.

In Karnataka, the robusta output for next season is pegged at 1.67 lakh tonnes, higher than current year’s 1.32 lakh tonnes. The output of arabicas is forecast at 80,700 tonnes. D Govindappa Jayaram, Chairman, Karnataka Planters’ Association, estimates that as per the current situation, the Robusta crop will be affected by 10 per cent due to stalk and bean rot.

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