Coffee Board projects highest-ever coffee bean output for 2021-22

Pegs Robusta output at 2,60,700 tonnes, and Arabica production at 1,08,300 tonnes

The Coffee Board has projected a 10.5 per cent increase in coffee bean production at 3,69,000 tonnes for the 2021-22 season.

A Coffee Board official said this is the highest-ever post-blossom estimate for the coffee crop in the country. The projections include 2,60,700 tonnes of Robusta and 1,08,300 tonnes of Arabica varieties for the year. Last year, the final production stood at 334,000 tonnes comprising 235,000 tonnes of Robusta and 99,000 tonnes of Arabica, which is 2.3 per cent shorter than the post-monsoon estimate, according to data available on the Coffee Board website.

Robusta accounts for over 70 per cent of the country's coffee output. The crop looks better in the growing regions due to favourable blossom and backing showers, the official said.

Meanwhile, Arabica production has been declining over the last few years due to consistent pest infestation across the growing regions.

"This is only the post-blossom estimate, and it is too early to project the size of the final crop for the year. We will come out with a final estimate after the monsoon season and just ahead of the commencement of the harvesting sometime in December," an official said.

The Board had projected 3,42,000 tonnes production comprising 240,000 tonnes of Robusta and 102,000 tonnes of Arabica varieties during its post-monsoon estimates last year.

Untimely rains that occurred during December 2020 and January 2021 resulted in damage to the crop in the growing regions of Karnataka.

"The growing regions in the districts of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru have received good blossom showers and backing showers during February, April and May this year. The conditions are very much favourable for a better crop for the current coffee season," Appadurai, Chairman, Karnataka Planters Association, told DH.

He said all the growing regions had reported good monsoon showers so far.

The Coffee Board estimates show that Robusta output could be higher by 11 per cent growth at 2,60,700 tonnes for the current crop year as against 2,350,000 tonnes produced in 2020-21 due to expectations of a normal monsoon.