Sharp fall in robusta crop; prices may rise

KOCHI: A sharp fall in the robusta coffee crop this year could force smaller domestic coffee producers to raise prices later in the year. The instant coffee industry uses more of robusta beans, which account for 70 per cent of the total coffee production in the country. Growers were expecting a 10 per cent decline in the robusta output from 2.21 lakh tonnes estimated by the Coffee Board when the harvest began early this year. But after the completion of the harvest, they feel the fall could exceed earlier estimates.

“The situation is quite bad. Our estimation is that production could be around 1.75 lakh tonnes. The yield has come down significantly,’’ said HT Pramod, chairman of Karnataka Planters’ Association. Karnataka is the chief producer of coffee in the country. Pramod attributed the plunge in output to irregular weather last year.

The robusta prices have moved up by 15-20 per cent in the last few weeks. “The price of washed robusta coffee is around Rs 180 per kg and that of unwashed variety is Rs 130 per kg. The arrivals to the market have declined,’’ said N Vishwanathan, MD of SLN Coffee.