Coffee exports up 13 pc in February

NEW DELHI: India's coffee exports rose by 13 per cent to 35,555 tonne in February this year on the back of increased shipments of robusta variety, latest data from the Coffee Board said.

The country's overseas shipments of coffee stood at 31,567 tonne in the year-ago period.

Exports of robusta rose by 33 per cent to 28,002 tonne in February 2012 from 21,091 tonne in the same period of the previous year.

Arabica shipments, however, declined 23 per cent to 12,799 tonne in February, from 16,728 tonne in February 2011.

Unseasonal rains in end-November and early-December last year, which resulted in the harvest being delayed by 3-4 weeks, resulted in decline in arabica exports, experts said.

In the first two months this year, coffee exports rose 10 per cent to 56,524 tonne as against 51,612 tonne in the January-February, last year.

Export realisation increased by 16 per cent to Rs 856.26 crore in January-February 2012, from Rs 739.78 crore in the year-ago period.

According to experts, export realisation has risen due to weak rupee, though global prices remained almost stable at last year's levels.

India exports coffee mainly to Italy, Germany, Russian Federation, Belgium and Spain.