After visiting the plantations in Brazil and Colombia, coffee planters in India admit that the industry here would have to change the way of planting and look for better varieties and clones to compete and sustain in the market.

Karnataka Planters’ Association had organised a tour of Brazil and Colombia in July. A 35-member team from India (comprising coffee farmers and industry people) visited Brazil and 17 of them went to Colombia as well.

‘We can adopt simple things such as hedge-row planting. Our terrain may not be suitable for harvester, but drip irrigation should be possible here,’ said the Chairman of Karnataka Planters’ Association Nishant R Gurjer.

Sharing his experience, he said ‘coffee plantations in Brazil are highly mechanized. This has resulted in their over dependence on scarce and expensive labour. They have also put in place drip/ fertigation systems and water management technology, contributing to high productivity.’

Brazil’s annual coffee production has surged from 30-35 million bags (of 60 kg) a decade ago to 50-55 million bags at present. There has not been a corresponding increase in area, but they have improved in cultural practice and come up with better coffee varieties.

There is no such thing as ‘off-year’ and on-year’ any more. This year, despite being an ‘off-year’ Brazil’s coffee production has been estimated at 55 million bags.

Brazil planters have moved away from frost areas to newer areas. They grow sugar cane, soya, corn etc in these areas.

The varieties and clones that they have come up with are amazing.

Colombia is the hub of coffee, but there is no Robusta here. Here, there is massive replanting taking place, he said.

Are Indian coffee planters threatened? ‘Yes,’ he says, before admitting to the need for changing planting practices, opting for newer varieties and improving productivity per acre.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by L N Revathy / Coonoor – September 02nd, 2013