MADIKERI:The district’s coffee production has dipped by 10-12 per cent according to post-monsoon estimate conducted by the Coffee Board. The district managed to produce 1,37,300 tonnes of coffee during 2015-16. This year’s crop will be 1,21,435 tonnes. The state’s total coffee production has declined to 2.29,345 tonnes from the previous year’s 2,51,520 tonnes.
The dip in production is due to the absence of blossom showers in many parts of district during March-April. However, the low production does not cause hike in prices as nearly 70 per cent of production is being exported .
But growers are worried about increase in diseases due to shortage of rainfall this year. Coffee plantations require at least 60 to 80 inches of annual rainfall.
M N Ashoka, a coffee grower in Aigoor, said this year, he received just 42 inches of rainfall and pepper vines were already drying. He said pepper is a good income for coffee growers.