Third-generation coffee planter KM Chittiappa looked forward to a major expansion of his family business in late 2011 when coffee andpepper prices soared.
By January 2019, months after deadly landslides, floods and heavy rain that devastated coffee-growing districts of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts, Chittiappa’s family is desperately looking to sell its 48-acre plantation and lead a peaceful life in Bengaluru. A series of double whammy of production cuts and price collapse have made their lives miserable.
The travails of Chittiappa and his family are just one example of the growing distress among coffee planters in Malnad (Western Ghats) districts of Karnataka. “We’re in for a very rough time,” said Chittiappa’s elder son Aakash. “It’s not the weather alone but other factors like shortage of labourers, widespread infestation of the coffee berry borer beetle and other pests, declining yield and increasing production cost which are making coffee-growing less lucrative by the year.” he added.
Their distress could portend broader economic turmoil in the coffee sector. Extreme weather that caused floods and large-scale landslides in August 2018 in Karnataka and Kerala led to a sharp dip of around 16% in total coffee production this year in the country, according to the latest estimate of the Coffee Board of India. The post-monsoon crop estimate for 2018-19 is 3.2 lakh tonnes. “There’s an overall decline of 60,500 tonnes over the post-blossom estimate of 2018-19,’’ said a senior coffee board official.
Major reduction in crop is reported from Karnataka, which contributes 70% of the country’s total coffee production. The post-monsoon estimate for Karnataka is 2.2 lakh tonnes, an overall decline of 18% (48,250 tonnes) over the post-blossom estimate of 2018-19.
A major factor for reduction in production estimates is heavy rain. “An excess rainfall of 46% to 98% during January-September 2018 compared to rainfall received during the corresponding period of previous year 2017 led to substantial crop losses, flooding and landslides,” the Coffee Board report said.
The continuous rain also led to soil saturation and wet underfoot conditions resulting in defoliation, berry drop and incidence of stalk rot and black rot. Uprooting of shade trees as well as landslides also damaged the crop and affected coffee plantations, estate infrastructure and road and communication network. “Devastation is still visible on the ground. It’ll take a long time to bounce back,” said Sannuvanda M Kaverappa, former vice-president, Coffee Board.
What’s worse, the price of pepper, an inter-crop in coffee plantations, has plummeted. While prices of Robusta coffee variety are hovering between Rs 2500-3500 per 50kg bag, same as in 2011, many a pepper plantation facing threat from quick-wilt disease is facing the heat due to fall in prices, from about Rs 600 a kg a year ago to less than Rs 300 a kg now.
Coffee data
* India, sixth largest producer of coffee in the world, had record production in 2015-16 — 3.48 lakh tonnes
* Output declining since then; in 2016-17 and 2017-18, production was 3.12 lakh tonnes and 3.16 lakh tonnes
* In Karnataka, Arabica production declined by -16 % (13,200 tonnes), while Robusta production estimated at 18% (35,050 tonnes) over post-blossom estimate
* Among major coffee-growing districts in Karnataka, major loss of about 25,020 tonnes (Arabica 4,750 tonnes and Robusta 20,270 tonnes) reported from Kodagu followed by Chikkamagaluru 17,250 tonnes (Arabica 6,550 tonnes and Robusta 10,700 tonnes) and Hassan 5,980 tonnes (Arabica 1,900 tonnes and Robusta 4,080 tonnes)
* Coffee production in Kerala, mainly Robusta producing region, declined by 13%
* In Tamil Nadu, Arabica producing region, production declined by 7.9%
Source - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
