India’s coffee output for the new 2022-23 crop year, starting October is heading for a new record provided the weather supports the crop for the rest of the calendar year. The Coffee Board, in its early production estimates also known as post-blossom estimates, has pegged the 2022-23 crop at 3.93 lakh tonnes on favorable weather conditions during MarchMay, which aided the blossoms and crop setting this year.
The post-blossom estimates are higher by about 15% over the final estimates of 3.42 lakh tonnes for the current 2021-22 crop year ended September. The output of Arabicas, the mild and premium variety, is seen as 23% higher at 1.169 lakh tonnes (lt) over the previous year’s 95,000 tonnes. Similarly, the output of Robustas is likely to be 12% higher at 2.77 lakh tonnes over the last year’s 2.47 lakh tonnes.
K G Jagadeesha, CEO and Secretary, Coffee Board, said the postblossom estimates for 2022-23 is a record, but how much of it remains by the time the crop is harvested remains to be seen. While the key coffee growing regions in Karnataka and Kerala have received good pre-blossom and blossom showers, there has been a deficit in the monsoon rainfall, so far in these States.
Much of the expected increase in next year’s output would be driven by Karnataka, the largest producing State which accounts for two-thirds of the country’s output. The 2022-23 crop is seen higher by 18% in Karnataka, 11% in Tamil Nadu, and 6.3% in Kerala. In Karnataka, the post-blossom arabica output is pegged higher at 86,150 tonnes, an increase of 27% over 68,025 tonnes this season.
