Robusta coffee yield dips

Planters worried over the fall in quantity of beans

The yield of Robusta coffee variety has decreased this year compared to previous years. Last summer, the farmers had expected to get high yield this year,  but on the contrary the yield has seen a dip.

Robusta coffee plants, which are found in large number in Kalasa have not brought good news to the farmers this season. The coffee planters, who have managed the work with lot of difficulty fighting shortage of daily wage labourers, are a disappointed lot due to the low yield.

“The daily wage labourers demand Rs two to three for plucking one kg of coffee beans. This works out very expensive for us,” said one of the growers. The labourers from dry area who used to the Malnad from decades have stopped migrating in the recent years. Some of the coffee plantations in the interior regions do not get labourers at all.

In the absence of labourers from outside, the growers recruit the local labourers for coffee plucking work. The cost of coffee plucking has doubled in the last two years.

Most of the growers believe the lack of ‘Hoomale’ is the reason for low yield this season. The bumper yield in the last season has damaged the plants leading to less yield this time. Due to fewer yields the plants are in a good condition this season and so the growers are hoping of a good yield next year.