The Karnataka Growers’ Federation has taken exception to the Coffee Board’s estimation for the post-monsoon coffee production for 2014-15. While the board has estimated a production of 3.31 lakh tonnes of coffee during the season, the federation says it will not cross 2.5 lakh tonnes.
In a press release issued here recently, U.M. Thirthamallesh, president of the federation, said the board had made the estimation without visiting the field. “The board has not considered the ground realities. The federation has over 50,000 members and the relevant information is collected directly from the growers. As per our estimation, the post-monsoon production of coffee will not cross 2.5 lakh tonnes, which includes 70,000 tonnes of Arabica and 1.5 lakh to 1.7 lakh tonnes of Robusta,” he said.
Nearly 50 per cent of the coffee harvest in Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Hassan districts had already been completed and the growers had found that there was a 40 per cent decrease in the coffee production, compared to the last season. White stem borer disease in plantations was one of the reasons for the decrease in production, the federation said.
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