The state-run Coffee Board sees a rebound in production of the beans for the 2020-21 crop season starting October. “We are expecting a better crop this year as compared to the previous years,” said NN Narendra, Secretary, Coffee Board at an event on International Coffee Day.

India’s coffee output in the recent years has been impacted by both drought conditions during 2016-18 and heavy rains in 2018-20. The crop, which was battered by heavy rains the key producing regions of Karnataka and Kerala during 2019-20, dropped to a 10-year low of 2.98 lakh tonnes, comprising 87,000 tonnes of Arabicas and 2.11 lakh tonnes of Robustas. Karnataka, the largest coffee-producing State, accounts for about 70 per cent of the country’s output.

The coffee-growing regions in the current year have faced heavy rains coupled with winds, especially during August and September, triggering wet feet and fungal diseases causing losses to the growers in Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan.

“Even the quantum of rainfall in 2020-21 is high, but the impact is not expected to be as severe as it was in the previous year. I am hopeful that we may reach an average of 3.45 lakh tonnes, or even exceed that. This may provide some relief for the coffee sector, but it would depend on the market price,” Narendra said.

The Board is expected to carry out assessment of the 2020-21 crop later this month, as some key growing regions are still facing rains. The Board also entered an agreement with Nasscom’s Centre of Excellence for IoT to develop and leverage new technologies in the coffee value chain.

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