Coffee output seen rising 4% to 3.1 lt this year

BANGALORE: India���s coffee output is pegged at 3.1 lakh tonne in 2009-2010, 4.4% higher compared to 2008-09, according to the post-blossom estimates released by the Coffee Board. The higher estimate in 2009-2010 is on the back of an anticipated 5.7% year-on-year rise in the output of the Robusta variety.

Arabica production is expected to be flat in 2009-2010 at 1.1 lakh tonne against 1 lakh tonne in 2008-09, while Robusta is pegged at 2.1 lakh tonne (1.9 lakh tonne). India exports over three-fourths of its production of the commodity.

In India, coffee year runs from November to October with harvest commencing from November. Post-blossoms estimates is issued by the board after the blossom showers in March. ET, in its March 24 edition, had indicated that the output for 2009-2010 would be in the range of 300,000 tonnes (each bag of 50 kg).

The output from Karnataka, which accounts for over 70% of coffee produced in the country, is pegged at 2.2 lakh tonnes against 2.1 lakh tonnes estimated during the post-blossom for 2008-09 with all three key producing districts of Chikmagalur, Kodagu and Hassan showing an uptrend.

Kerala is slated to have an output of 59,550 tonnes in 2009-2010, against 57,200 tonnes estimated in the post-blossom output in 2008-09, while in Tamil Nadu, the coffee output in the board���s estimate for 2009-2010 is pegged at 19,550 tonnes as against 16,255 tonnes.