Coffee exports down in Apr-Oct

India exported 125,000 tonnes coffee in the seven months ended October compared with 130,000 tonnes a year earlier.

The small fall was because of drought in the country's main coffee producing region and low overseas prices, said commerce and industry minister, Kamal Nath.

Answering questions from MPs in the Lok Sabha Friday, Nath said that the country's exports could reach 290,000 tonnes in current financial year that started in April compared with 270,000 tonnes in the previous year period.

To provide relief to coffee growers facing financial problems, government was considering relief measures such as interest subsidy and increasing loan tenure, he said.

Earlier this week, a Coffee Board official said production in the current coffee year that began in October was likely to rise 8 per cent to 292,000 tonnes.

In the October-September coffee year, exports are likely to be 225,000 tonnes, a board official told Crisil MarketWire. India produces 4.5 per cent of the world's coffee and exports 70-80 per cent of the output.