Coffee Board sticks to previous export and production data in revised estimate

KOCHI: The Coffee Board's revised estimate of export and production remains little unchanged from previous figures which have been disputed by the industry. Unprecedented exports last year had led growers and exporters to remark that Coffee Board's production figures could be off the mark.

Coffee exports for 2010-11 touched 2.94 lakh tonne, a new high, which was around 50% higher than the previous year's. Total coffee production in the country last year was at 3.02 lakh tonne. Considering that the domestic consumption is around 1.08 lakh tonne and after factoring in the carryover stock, the industry had doubts whether the supply would have been adequate to feed the exports.

Coffee Board chairman Jawaid Akthar told ET that the board considered production, export and consumption for the last ten years and found that the figures put out by the Coffee Board have been accurate. "The carryover stock at the beginning of this coffee year, which began from October, is at 63,000 tonne. The confusion arose because the coffee crop is considered for the coffee year which is from October to September. Exports, on the other hand, are considered for the financial year," he said. Exports will include stock from 2010-11 and the two previous years.

Another factor that has boosted the export tally is that it consists of coffee imported for value addition for re-export, Akthar said.

"We feel the total production should have been near 3.30 lakh tonne compared with 3.02 lakh tonne for 2010-11," said Ramesh Rajah, president of Coffee Exporters Association of India.