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World robusta prices may harden as the leading robusta producer, Vietnam, is likely to end the season with last year’s output of 17-18 million 60-kg bags and not higher, as expected before.
“Unseasonal rain has brought down projections,” Mr Nishant Gurjer, Convenor, Scientific Committee, Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), said at a press conference here on Tuesday. He was part of a KPA team that visited Vietnam between January 25 and January 30.
Mr Gurjer also said at the sidelines of the meet that the arabica crop would be 10-15 per cent below the earlier estimates of about one lakh tonnes, on account of rain in November and December in arabica-growing regions. “Coorg is poor, but Chikmagalur seems better,” he said.
“On account of the unseasonal rain, the conversion of the fruit to arabica parchment and cherry may come down to 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, as against the usual 70 per cent and 30 per cent,” Mr Gurjer said. When the rain splits the fruit, it dries up on the plant, rendering it unfit for parchment production, he said. In the case of both parchment and cherry, about 16-20 per cent of the raw fruit converts to clean coffee.
Regarding their observations on the Vietnam visit, KPA Chairman, Mr Sahadev Balakrishna, said that Coffee Board scientists should undertake a field visit to Vietnam with a view to studying the cultural practices can be adapted to Indian conditions.
“Low technology and intensive cultivation, without mechanisation, had led to high yields in Vietnam. There are lessons to be learnt for India,” Mr Marvin Rodrigues, Vice-Chairman, KPA, said.
“Despite a labour cost of $5 a day and fertiliser cost of Rs 20,000 per tonne, against Rs 5,000-10,000 per tonne in India, their cost per kilogram would be less than in India, because of the higher productivity of 1.5 tonnes per acre.” Mr Balakrishna said.
“Productivity is high, irrespective of the size of the farms,” Mr Gurjer said.
“They take good care of the plants in the initial stages, digging deep pits and using organic material. This also takes care of the effects of high fertiliser usage, Mr Rodrigues said.
Vietnam produces 10 lakh tonnes of robusta, of which 80,000 tonnes is consumed domestically.
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