The Hindu : Business : Coffee Board differs on Arabica yield

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 10, 2005

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Business

Coffee Board differs on Arabica yield

Special Correspondent

`A drop of 25 p.c in Arabica production this year is unrealistic'

BANGALORE: The Coffee Board has differed with the industry's view that Arabica coffee production for 2005-06 may decline by 25 per cent in the wake of the white stem borer attack on coffee plantations across the country following the drought during the past two coffee seasons. "The white stem borer has infested coffee plantations, which is likely to have some impact on production.

But I am not fully in agreement with what some of the grower bodies fear that the Arabica coffee production is likely to drop by 25 per cent when compared to last year," G.V. Krishna Rau, Chairman, Coffee Board, said while delivering the keynote address at the UPASI-KPA annual conference here on Tuesday.

Board's forecast

As per the post-blossom forecast made by the Coffee Board, domestic production is estimated to touch 2,94,000 tonnes, including 1,05,600 tonnes of Arabica and 1,88,400 tonnes of Robusta, for 2005-06 as compared to 2,76,000 tonnes in 2004-05. Mr. Rau said the unusually heavy rain that lashed the State after the post-blossom estimates has damaged coffee plantations. "Still, we do not expect a huge drop owing to local damage caused by heavy rain," he said and added that on the whole "the rain was a positive development for the coffee industry."

According to Mr. Rau, the Arabica coffee production has declined gradually by 20 per cent to 23 per cent over the past three years. "This year, there is a possibility of a perceptible drop. But to expect a further drop of 25 per cent in Arabica coffee production this year, to my mind, is unrealistic," Mr. Rau stated.

The Coffee Board will be in a "position to speak with a lot more confidence about the coffee production for the year after receiving the post-monsoon estimates in a month," he said.

Responding to demands from growers, Mr. Rau said that the board has to work on a proposal to extend the replanting subsidy scheme operated by the Union Government to large growers having estates of 25 hectares.

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