India's coffee output pegged at record 3.5 lakh tons in 2017-18

New Delhi: Coffee output in India, Asia's third-largest producer and exporter, is projected to be a record 3.50 lakh tonnes in the 2017-18 marketing year started this month on higher acreage, according to the Coffee Board.

The final output stood lower by 10.34 per cent at 3.12 lakh tonnes in 2016-17 marketing year from 3.48 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

Releasing the first crop estimate, the Coffee Board said the post blossom crop forecast for 2017-18 is placed at 3.50 lakh tonnes, comprising 1.03 lakh tonnes of Arabica and 2.47 lakh tonnes of Robusta varieties.

"It is going to be yet another record crop. This is an overall increase of 38,400 tonnes (12.31 per cent) over the final estimate of previous 2016-17 year," the Board said.

Higher output is mainly attributed to the additional bearing area of about 13,500 hectare in traditional growing areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The Board however noted that the initial estimates were made in May and would be revised factoring crop losses, if any, in the next estimate.

Coffee output in Karnataka - the country's leading producer - is pegged at 2.51 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 as against 2.21 lakh tonnes last year.

The state's Arabica output is projected to increase to 75,300 tonnes from 70,510 tonnes, while Robusta production is pegged at 1,76,460 tonnes as against 1,51,235 tonnes last year.

The production is Kerala, mainly a Robusta producer, is estimated to be higher by 8.31 per cent at 68,520 tonnes this year as against 63,265 tonnes last year.

In Tamil Nadu, the production is projected to go up by 17.29 per cent to 19,160 tonnes from 16,335 tonnes in the said period.

In non-traditional areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as well as in North Eastern Region, coffee output is pegged at 10,960 tonnes in 2017-18 as against final output of 10,655 tonnes last year.

The higher forecast has come mainly from Andhra Pradesh due to increase in bearing area, the Board added.