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India’s coffee production for the 2020-21 season starting October is seen rebounding with the State-run Coffee Board projecting a crop size of 3.42 lakh tonnes (lt) in the recently released post-monsoon estimates. This is about 15 per cent higher over the final crop size of 2.98 lt in 2019-20 season, the lowest crop in a decade.
Production in Karnataka, which accounts for over two-thirds of the country’s output, is seen increasing 19 per cent despite the surge in late monsoon rains during August and September coupled with extreme windy conditions and outbreak of wet feet and fungal diseases across major producing areas such as Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan. The Board estimates a 23 per cent jump in Karnataka’s arabica crop, while the robusta production is expected to rise by about 17 per cent. India’s coffee output in the recent years has been impacted by both drought conditions during 2016-18 and also by heavy rains in 2018-20.
In Kerala, the second largest producer, output is expected to rise by 6 per cent, while in Tamil Nadu the crop size is seen rising by 5 per cent. In the non-traditional areas, the production is seen rising marginally in Andhra Pradesh, while Odisha and the North-Eastern States are expected to report a decline.
The harvest of arabicas has started in Karnataka, while the robusta picking is set to begin next month. Growers are battling shortage of labour and unusual cloudy weather as the harvesting season makes a progress.
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