India's coffee output pegged at 3.18 lakh ton in 2011-12: ICO

India's coffee production is expected to rise by 6 per cent to 3.18 lakh tonnes in the current coffee year ending September, even though high input costs and labour shortage are major constraints, International Coffee Organisation (ICO) said.

The country had produced 3 lakh tonnes of the brew in the 2010-11 coffee year (October-September), ICO data showed.

"Production in India could increase by 6 per cent from 5 million bags of 60 kg each to 5.3 million bags, although high production costs and labour shortages are major constraints," ICO said in its latest report.

The government-run Coffee Board of India in its latest estimate has said that the output of the brew is estimated to rise by 6.62 per cent to 3.20 lakh tonnes in the 2011-12 coffee year from 3.02 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

ICO has forecasted that the production of coffee could come down in Asia and Oceania region on account of inclement weather.

"Production in Asia & Oceania was affected by adverse weather conditions in some of its main producing areas, with a negative impact on output for 2011-12," it pointed out.

The total output is expected to be 34.1 million bags in crop year 2011-12 compared to 36 million bags in 2010-11, a fall of 5.2 per cent, FAO added.

Coffee production in this region will account for 26.1 per cent of the global coffee production in the current coffee year. The main producing countries are Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.