Unseasonal rains in Karnataka coffee belt may hit output, quality

Unseasonal rains twice in the last 10 days in the coffee growing districts of Karnataka have affected harvest and post-harvest activities. The early rains may affect coffee quality and output as well.

Districts of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur received 4-5 cm rains and cloudy weather for a week in the region has affected coffee drying.

Coffee wetting has been reported at many places due to water logging and lack of sunlight. The worst hit is the robusta crop, while arabica harvest has been completed.

Bose Mandana, a senior coffee planter from Suntikoppa in Kodagu, told

Business Line “The entire crop is on the drying yard and with lack of sunlight it is taking more than 25 days for drying one lot of coffee as against the normal 15 days.

“In this scenario, managing moisture level is crucial for us. Normally, it should be between 10-12 per cent when we send it to curing works; at present, it is high at 18-20 per cent level,” he explained.

Nishant Gurjer, Chairman, Karnataka Planters’ Association and a grower from Chikmagalur, said “Robusta is right in the middle of harvest; due to rains, there could be impact on the current crop as well as the next year’s crop. Due to early rains, coffee will dry on the plant and there could be some dropping as well.”

Also due to early rains, stressed period for arabica and robusta has been reduced and it is likely to trigger early flowering. This may again need back-up showers to sustain; otherwise, there could be crop failure.

“This year, rains are early. It is too early especially for Arabica, for the reproductive buds (spikes) is not yet ready,” said Bose Mandana.

“If spikes are not mature, then small blossom may occur. This again may need back-up showers in the first week of March. If it fails then, we may have bad crop next year,” he added.

Damages to robusta crop are likely to impact prices when the crop enters the market later this year. Currently, traders are assessing the damages.

According to Karnataka Planters’ Association’s estimate, coffee production in the current crop year is 2.85 lakh tonnes. Arabica production is estimated at 85,000 tonnes and robusta crop at around 2 lakh tonnes.

“At present, we are sticking to the KPA estimate on arabica. For robusta, we will take a call later,” said Nishant Gurjer.

The Coffee Board estimate is 3.25 lakh tonnes during 2012-13 crop year (October- September), which includes 1.04 lakh tonnes of arabica and 2.21 lakh tonnes of robusta.

anil.u@thehindu.co.in