Coffee exports drop 12%

Coffee exports (permit issued) in the first ten months of 2007 (January-October) are down 11.92 per cent to 1.92 lakh tonnes compared with 2.18 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

According to the Coffee Board, export realisation in rupees was also marginally down at Rs 1,666.44 crore, as against Rs 1,679.91 crore last year.

The industry attributes the fall in coffee exports to weak overseas demand and domestic coffee growers' reluctance to release stock anticipating price appreciation.

Of the 1.92 lakh tonnes permitted for export, Arabica Parchment accounted for 28,686 tonnes (as against last year's 45,393 tonnes), Arabica Cherry 9,931 tonnes (9,694 tonnes), Robusta Parchment 19,071 tonnes (22,649 tonnes), Robusta Cherry 79,761 tonnes (92,055 tonnes) and instant coffee 42,656 tonnes (20,929 tonnes).

Rupee-exports (value-added in the country after importing) for the period were down 55.63 per cent to 12,517 tonnes, as compared with 28,214 tonnes in the same period last year. Instant coffee comprised a major portion of these exports.

Italy continues to be the top importer of Indian coffee. As on November 1, Italy bought 47,826.40 tonnes (Arabica 9,061.10 tonnes and Robusta 38,765.30 tonnes), Russian Federation 20,965.30 tonnes (2,462.40 and 18,502.90), Germany 10,802.90 tonnes (5,322.60 and 5,480.30), Belgium 8,803.10 (3,375.60 and 5,427.50) while Spain imported 7,808.20 tonnes (576.60 and 7,231.60).