Boost to coffee offtake

India intends to pump in Rs 90 crore over the next five years to boost consumption of coffee by 50 per cent on the back of higher disposable incomes driving growth.

The country's consumption of the commodity is between 80,000-85,000 tonnes annually. It grew at a healthy 5.5 per cent in the last five years, accounting for close to 30 per cent of the total production pegged at 2.88 lakh tonnes.

"We have projected about Rs 90 crore spread over five years (on promotion of domestic consumption during the 11th Plan Period 2007-2012). We are hoping it should go through," Coffee Board Chairman G V Krishna Rau said.

"By the end of the 11th Plan, our target is to reach 1.2 lakh tonnes (domestic consumption). That calls for 8-10 per cent growth annually," Rau said.

The increase in coffee consumption at home is essentially attributable to availability of more disposable incomes with the population, he said.

"We have an opportunity in this country "� disposable incomes are going up; what should be done is to make coffee available at more number of places. Wherever coffee is made available, it's consumed."