India’s 2024-25 coffee crop may be unchanged at 3.7 lakh tonnes

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India’s coffee crop for the 2024-25 season starting October, as per the early or post-blossom estimates, will likely be similar to the last year’s levels of around 3.7 lakh tonnes, Coffee Board Chairman MJ Dinesh said.

The production of arabicas will be slightly less, while that of the widely-grown robustas will be higher, he said. However, he did not provide a variety-wise break-up.

For the 2023-24 crop year, the Board had pegged the early estimates at 3.74 lakh tonnes (lt) comprising of 1.13 lt arabicas and 2.61 lt robustas. While the Board is yet to officially release the final crop estimates for 2023-24, it is likely to be around 2.6 lt.

Addressing the 66th AGM of the Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) in Madikeri, Dinesh said the Board is charting a 10-year plan starting from 2024 to double production, improve productivity, increase exports and domestic consumption.

Expansion of new areas will be done in States such as Odisha among others, he said adding that the focus will be on creating best-yielding varieties.

Setting up FPOs

Dinesh said about 100 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) would be created across the country over a year of which 60 will be in Karnataka. The Board is looking at facilitating the setting up 10,000 coffee kiosks across the country that will provide a fillip to domestic consumption. The per capita consumption currently stands at 107 grams.

At the recent UPASI annual conference, the Coffee Board Secretary had unveiled plans to treble the output to around 9 lakh tonnes by 2047.

The Indian coffee sector is currently being impacted by erratic weather pattern, which is seen hurting the producttion.

Govt intervention

KPA chairman K G Rajeev said the growers body has made a presentation to the Government to include coffee under PM Fasal Bima Yojana. Presently, there is no insurance cover to the coffee growers.The KPA has also sought assistance from the Govt to promote brand identity for coffee and tea emphasising their quality and unique characteristics.

It has also sought exemption or reduction of customs duty on import of agriculture equipment.