Excess rains in Karnataka may hurt India’s 2022-23 coffee output

Excessive and continuous rains in recent weeks in the key producing regions of Karnataka will likely have an unfavourable impact on the developing coffee crop, triggering concerns among growers.

Excess and continuous rains in the first fortnight of July have triggered diseases such as root rot, leaf rot and wet feet conditions resulting in the leaves and berries turning black and dropping from coffee plants, growers said. This is resulting in crop losses, putting paid to the growers’ expectations of a bumper crop.

Key coffee-growing regions in Karnataka, which account for 70 per cent of the country’s coffee output, have experienced heavy rains in the ongoing monsoon season to date. Chikkamagalur received 132 per cent more rainfall during June 1-17, while the precipitation was 124 per cent more in Hassan and 109 per cent more in Kodagu, the largest coffee-producing district.

In the South Kodagu region, the average rainfall during the July 9-15 week was 272 per cent more this year compared with the past 10-year average. Some areas such as Balele received 349 per cent more rainfall, while Gonikoppal and Virajpet have received 310 and 288 per cent more than the 10 year-average.

Collateral damages

“The heavy and continuous rains have not only impacted the standing crop due to black rot, stalk rot and wet feed conditions, but planters have also suffered collateral damages from shade tree falls due to the heavy winds. There has been flooding in some areas and planters have suffered losses due to water logging. While it is too early to assess the crop losses, it could be around 25 per cent in Chikamagalur and 20 per cent in Kodagu,” said N Ramanathan, Chairman, KPA.

The percentage of dropping is more in several villages that traditionally witness higher precipitation. Coffee Board officials said they are assessing the impact of excess rains and have been providing advisory to the growers on the management of premature berry drop and black rot/stalk rot diseases in the root zones of the plants.

Jeffry Rebello, vice-president, UPASI, said it is a dynamic situation as it still the first half of the monsoon season and too early to assess the crop losses. “If there are further bouts of heavy rains, there could be further impact,” Rebello said, pegging the current losses to around 15 per cent.

B S Jayaram, a coffee grower in Mudigere said, besides coffee, the other plantation crops such as cardamom and pepper have suffered losses. “We have urged the district authorities to survey the crop losses to quantify the impact,” Jayaram, former president of Karnataka Growers Federation.

The State-run Coffee Board in its recent post-blossom or early estimates had placed the crop size for the year 2022-23 starting October at a record 3.93 lakh tonnes, 15 per cent more than previous year’s 3.42 lakh tonnes.

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