Arabicas set for early harvest on timely rain

Timely and well-distributed rainfall across key coffee growing regions this year could advance the harvest of Arabicas, even as the flare-up of white stem borer (WSB) threatens to shrink the output of this mild, premium variety.

“We may have an early crop this year due to the timely and adequate rainfall, and enough sunshine during the breaks in the monsoon so far. There’s already some ripening reported in certain areas,” said Y Raghuramulu, Director of the Central Coffee Research Institute in Balehonnur, Chikmagalur district.

The pickings could be advanced by a fortnight to a month. Coffee harvest usually runs from November to January for Arabicas, while the robusta pickings are carried out between January and March.

Blossom showers K Kurian, Chairman of the Karnataka Planters’ Association, the apex body of growers, credits the good pre-monsoon showers for the early harvest this year. Pre-monsoon — or blossom showers as they are called by planters — are the most critical as they help the coffee flower buds to blossom.

Similarly, the backing showers that come with a lag of 18 days after the blossom showers help in fruit development and retention.

“In fact, in one of our estates, a small quantity that had ripened early has already been harvested,” Kurian said.

The early rains have boosted the prospects of coffee this year with the State-run Coffee Board, in its initial estimates, pegging the crop size for the 2015-16 crop year, starting October, at 3.55 lakh tonnes (lt) — a growth of 8.75 per cent over the previous year.

Coffee Board numbers The Arabica crop size for 2015-16 is pegged at 1.10 lt — up 12.55 per cent over 2014-15’s final estimate of 97,700 tonnes. The Robusta crop size is estimated to expand to 2.45 lt, a growth of 7 per cent over the previous year.

“Most growers are reporting a fairly average to a better crop this year,” Kurian said, while expressing concerns on the flare-up of white stem borers. “In several low elevation areas of Chikmagalur and Kodagu, the incidence of borer flare-up is extremely high. People are removing the infected trees, bearing coffee fruits, in large numbers,” Kurian said.

WSB menace While the Arabica crop looks relatively better than last year, the high incidence of borer could shrink the output of the superior variety of bean.

“The impact has been colossal as even single plants are being infested with the borer,” said N Bose Mandanna of Subramanya Estate at Suntikoppa, near Madikeri. “Arabicas should be ready for harvest some-time in end October or early November,” he added.

A clearer picture on the impact of the white stem borers on the Arabica crop output is likely to available by mid-September, Kurian said.

WSB is reported to be responsible for an estimated loss of about half a million plants each year, resulting in a crop loss of about 1,500 tonnes per annum.

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