India's coffee exports likely to drop 8% in 2019 as floods dent output
India's coffee exports likely to drop 8% in 2019 as floods dent output

India's coffee exports are likely to drop 8% to 230,000 tonnes in 2019 as plantations were hit by floods in key producing southern states. The coffee production is expected to fall to its lowest in five years.

Lower exports from India could support global prices, which are already trading near their highest in 8 and a half months.

Ramesh Rajah, President of the Coffee Exporters' Association of India, said, "Floods badly affected coffee plantations in Karnataka and Kerala. As production is going down, we will have a limited surplus for exports."

Kerala and Karnataka, which were hit by worst flood this year, together account for over 90% of India's total coffee production.

In the 2018-19 marketing year that started on October 1, India is likely to produce 310,000 tonnes of coffee. The country produced 316,000 tonnes coffee, including 221,000 tonnes of robusta and 95,000 tonnes of arabica, in the 2017-18 marketing year that ended on September 30.

"Even last year's crop wasn't good, but we have ample carry-forward stocks. But this year, carry-forward stocks are limited," Rajah said.

 
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