Coffee exports dropped by 7.23 per cent in the first 10 months of the calendar year (January to October) to 2.82 lakh tonnes compared with 3.04 lakh tonnes during the same period a year ago.
Coffee exports in rupee terms was flat (0.18 per cent) at Rs 4,255.85 crore against Rs 4,248.06 crore.
In dollar terms, it was down 9.47 per cent at $839.69 million against $927.60 million.
However, in terms of unit value realisation, coffee fetched Rs 1,50,734 a tonne as against Rs 1,39,455a year ago. Exports in the first month (October) of the crop year 2012-13 was up 1.08 per cent at 18,286 tonnes compared with last year’s 18,090 tonnes.
Reasons
The unit value realisation of coffee stood at Rs 1,60,598 a tonne against last year’s realisation of Rs 1,40,386.
“Coffee exports are marginally down due to lower crop and negligible carry forward stocks. Last year, the industry saw unusually high exports, almost 20 per cent more than the previous year’s average,” said Vijayan P. Rajes, Chairman of UPASI Coffee Committee.
According to M.P. Devaiah, General Manager, Allanasons, lower production in 2011-12, coupled with buyers’ price not matching with that of growers dragged shipments.
According to Coffee Board statistics, arabica parchment constituted 41,682 tonnes (last year’s exports stood at 39,505 tonnes); arabica cherry 12,366 tonnes (10,523 tonnes), robusta 22,402 tonnes (27,316 tonnes) and robusta cherry 1,26,467 tonnes (1,47,055 tonnes).
Instant coffee total exports were at 79,236 (79,977 tonnes); instant coffee (Indian) 38,870 tonnes (39,893 tonnes) and instant coffee re-exports 40,366 tonnes (40,084 tonnes).
Top 5 export houses
Allanasons Ltd 27,865.10 tonnes (arabica 9,737.80 tonnes, robusta 18,127.30 tonnes), NKG Jayanti Coffee 26,490.80 tonnes (arabica 8,144.70 tonnes, robusta 18,346.10 tonnes), CCL Products-India 26,141.40 tonnes (robusta 26,141.40 tonnes), Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading 20,011.40 tonnes (arabica 8,167.70 tonnes, robusta 11,843.70 tonnes) and Tata Coffee 18,801.10 tonnes (arabica 984.90 tonnes, robusta 17,816.20 tonnes).