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The Coffee Board has lowered its production estimate for the current season to 3.11 lakh tonnes from a record 3.47 lakh tonnes.
The projection is lower than last season’s production of 3.15 lakh tonnes too.
revised estimate The board revised its estimate for the season that began in November after assessing the damage wrought by monsoon in growing areas, particularly in Karnataka.
Continuous rain during July-September in areas such as Kodagu led to stagnation of the crop growth besides denying sunshine that is essential for photosynthesis.
In its break-up for this seasons production, the board pegged Arabica production at 1.02 lakh tonnes and Robusta at 2.09 lakh tonnes.
The board had, in its post-blossom estimate, estimated Arabica output at 1.11 lakh tonnes and Robusta productiona at 2.36 lakh tonnes.
State-wise, as expected, the revision sees production in Karnataka being lowered by 12.61 per cent or 31,145 tonnes. The estimate has been lowered marginally for Kerala (3,275 tonnes).
Karnataka Within Karnataka, the projection has been lowered by 17,845 tonnes or over 13 per cent in Kodagu district, followed by Chikmagalur (8,060 tonnes) and Hassan (5,510 tonnes) compared with the post-blossom estimate.
“Looking at the widespread havoc caused by excessive rains in the coffee growing districts of Karnataka, the crop forecast by the Coffee Board is still high. We at the Karnataka Planters’ Association estimate the crop to be at around 2.80-2.90 lakh tonnes,” said Govindappa Jayaram, Chairman of Karnataka Planters’ Association.
According to Bose Mandana, a senior coffee grower from Suntikoppa in Kodagu and former vice-chairman of the board, excess rains was good for coffee but they had caused widespread defoliation which would lower next year’s arabica crop.
“This year, instead of 80 per cent parchment, we may end up converting only 60 per cent of coffees to parchment and rest will be cherry. As a result, the realisation will be lower,” he said.
Nishant Gurjer, former Chairman of KPA and a grower from Chikmagalur, said that nothing has changed even a month into harvest.
Drought spell “We stick to Karnataka Planters’ Association estimate. We are witnessing lower picking of robusta compared to last year,” he said.
A main reason for production to drop was that coffee areas witnessed a long period of drought after receiving blossom showers in early March. The followed the harsh South-West Monsoon. Some of the growing areas received continuous rainfall for over 60 days.
This led to soil saturation and wet feet conditions resulting in defoliation, berry drop and incidences of stalk rot and black rot. Uprooting of shade trees too was also reported.
Before the onset of Monsoon, there was a heavy proliferation of white stem borer because of the long drought during April-May.
However, heavy monsoon rains helped in preventing further spread of the pest.
Taking into account of all factors, the board’s post monsoon crop estimate for Karnataka is 2,17,700 tonnes with a break up of 78,530 tonnes of arabica and 139,170 tonnes of robusta.
In non-traditional areas of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and the North-East, the post monsoon forecast is 7,650 tonnes against post blossom estimate of 8,010 tonnes.
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