Coffee Export Jumps 60%

Indian coffee export is on a high. Exports increased nearly 60% to touch 3,25,116 tonne in 2010-11. This is the highest quantity ever exported by the country. The value in dollar terms touched $811.09 million, up 83%, while in terms of rupee the value was 3,789 crore , a 75 % rise. According to a senior official of Coffee Board, besides the surge in quantity, the earnings have gone up due to a higher unit value. The unit value stood at 116 per kg compared with 106 per kg in the previous year. If you take the last six months of the year, the unit value is still higher at 131 per kg. Italy continues to be the largest buyer of Indian coffee, accounting for 24% of the total exports from the country. It is followed by Germany at 14% and Belgium at 10%. A lower price last year had perked up the demand for Indian coffee, said Ramesh Rajah, president of Coffee Exporters Association of India. “The coffee crop was also good last year. As a result of the high demand, over 30,000 tonne of carryover stock was shipped during the year. Even the coffee harvested between December 2010 and February 2011 was also exported. Normally, it is included in the current year’s crop,’’ Rajah said. Coffee production for 2010-11 has been estimated at 2.99 lakh tonne, 3.2% higher than that of the previous year. Though the Arabica crop was estimated at 90,000 tonne, it was found to be slightly lower after the harvest. The robusta harvest is yet to be over. But Karnataka Planters Association chairman Sahdev Balakrishna said so far it has been close to the Coffee Board estimate of 2.04 lakh tonne. Rajah added that the high export trend may not continue in the current year. The carryover stock has been almost exhausted and the global demand is sluggish. ``The shipments in the first quarter may not be affected but the exports in the second quarter could be hit,’’ he said. Around 80% of the total coffee production in the country is exported.