Erratic summer rainfall, rise in temperatures affect coffee crop in largest producing district Kodagu

The coffee crop is witnessing an uneven setting for the season starting October 2022-23 in Kodagu, the largest-producing district in the country, on account of erratic backing showers and higher temperatures hurting flowering. This has triggered a concern among a section of the growers in the region, while the unfavourable development is unlikely to have any significant impact on the overall 2022-23 coffee crop as other producing regions such as Chikkamagalur and Hassan have received good rainfall.

Timely summer rains during March and April are crucial for the triggering the flowering of coffee buds and such spells are called blossom showers. The rain spell received after a fortnight of receiving the blossom showers are called backing shower and are crucial for the crop setting.

Tender flowers hit

“The crop setting is not good this year and many growers are not happy. Though the rainfall was good in some places, the temperatures were exceptionally high and the heat hurt the tender flowers, thereby resulting in poor crop setting,” said Bose Mandanna, a large grower in Suntikoppa, Kodagu.

The poor crop setting has resulted in increased vegetative growth of coffee plants across the region, where the number of rainy days during summer were less when compared to other regions like Chikkamagalur and Hassan, Mandanna said.

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Kodagu produces a third of India’s coffee output, while Karnataka accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s production.

Post-monsoon estimates

According to post monsoon estimates, coffee output in Kodagu during 2021-22 was 1.264 lakh tonnes comprising of 1.07 lakh tonnes of Robusta and 19,200 tonnes of Arabicas. Overall India’s coffee output for 2021-22 is estimated at 3.48 lakh tonnes, about 4 per cent higher than previous year’s 3.34 lakh tonnes.

Normally, growers tend to use the sprinklers irrigation for their estates during this period, but many of them who were hoping to receive backing showers seemed to have missed the bus. Sprinkler irrigation is expensive and the higher diesel prices have also prompted many a growers not to use them this year.

N Ramanathan, Chairman, Karnataka Planters Association, said the crop setting in Kodagu is not as good as witnessed in blossoms. While Robusta’s setting is not good as the blossom looked, arabicas look better this year.

Further, Ramanathan said the backing shower pattern has turned erratic over the past 2-3 years and the average temperatures have been higher this year, which has influenced the crop setting. “Overall for the next year crop robusta may be equal in size to last year and arabicas could be little better considering that borer is under control than what it was last year.,” he said.

Good May rainfall

BS Jayaram, former president of the Karnataka Growers Federation, said the crop is likely to be good, especially robusta, provided there are normal monsoon rains. Arabica may see a marginal improvement. “The blossom shower and backing showers have been good in at least 75 per cent of the growing areas,” he said.

“Initial rains were poor, but the rainfall in May has been very good. We will now the setting in a month’s time,” said Jeffrey Rebello, vice president, UPASI and grower in Hassan district.

As per the cumulative rainfall data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Kodagu district has received 67 per cent excess rains during the January-May period this year at 422 mm against the normal of 252 mm. Rainfall during this period in Chikmaglur was up 106 per cent at 339 mm as against a normal of 164.3 mm. Hassan witnessed 109 per cent more rains at 351 mm against a normal of 168 mm for the period.

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