Consumption of coffee up by 6% in 2010

Coffee consumption has gone up by 6 per cent to 1,08,000 tonne during 2010.

According to the Coffee Board, India’s consumption grew by 6 per cent in the last calender year as against 1,02,000 tonnes in 2009.

While the coffee has found favour in the north, its growth in South is modest at 4 per cent annually during the period, Coffee Board Chairman Javed Akhtar said. The total domestic consumption grew by only 2 per cent per annum between 1951 to 2000, but, since 2003 it leapfrogged at a rate of 6 per cent annually. He attributed coffee’s growing popularity to rising number of coffee bars and cafes across the country to cater to the bulging urban masses. Increase in earnings of middle class in the urban areas has also helped its growth, he noted.

However, International Coffee Organisation estimates the consumption in the country to have risen by 7 per cent to 1,03,500 tonne in 2010, compared to 96,300 tonne in the 2009 calender year.

Growth rate of coffee consumption in India is faster than the global consumption, which grew by 2.4 per cent to 135 million bags (of 60 kg each) in 2010, compared to 131.8 million bags in 2009.