Domestic coffee output for crop year 2012-13 is likely to be lower than the previous year, due to shortage of blossom showers across many major growing regions in South India between the last week of March and now.
The major growing regions of Chikmagalur, Hassan and Kodagu districts of Karnataka have experienced poor to negligible pre-monsoon showers over the past two to three weeks. Karnataka produces a majority of the country’s coffee.
“It is crucial for the crop to get pre-monsoon showers in March and April. As against a requirement of one inch of rainfall spread over two to three days, we have not witnessed good rains across all the growing regions this year,” said Marvin Rodrigues, chairman, Karnataka Planters Association (KPA).
Though it is too early to come to a conclusion on the crop size for 2012-13, there could be a decline in output of up to 10 per cent over last year’s pickings. For the crop year 2011-12, the harvest for which has just concluded, KPA estimates output at 295,000 tonnes, about eight per cent less than the Coffee Board estimate of 322,000 tonnes. While arabica output is estimated at 95,000 tonnes, robusta could be 200,000 tonnes, said Rodrigues.
Between March 27 and now, 40-45 per cent of the growing regions in Chikmagalur, Hassan and Kodagu have experienced poor to negligible rain. The other 55 per cent area saw good rain. “We fear lack of proper rain during this period may cause more damage to the arabica crop, as this is going to be an off-year for the variety. The robusta crop is likely to be better than last year,” he told Business Standard.
Agreeing with the planters, Coffee Board chairman Jawaid Akhtar said, “About 70-80 per cent of the robusta area is irrigated in Karnataka and the poor rainfall would not affect the crop much. As regards arabica, there is still time for rain and the crop can manage with late blossom showers.”
The Coffee Board, he said, was in the process of collecting rainfall data from field officers and is to come out with post-blossom estimates for the next crop by early May.
Only 50 per cent of coffee growing areas in Kodagu have witnessed showers. The situation was worse in the southern parts of the district, bordering Kerala.
Akhtar said the Coffee Board more or less confirms the rainfall pattern so far in Karnataka. The final picture would emerge only when the Board prepares its estimates officially, he said, adding it would also announce the final estimates for the just concluded harvest simultaneously with the post-blossom estimates for next year.
