Region: Indian Coffee exports up 2.54 % in FY08

India’s coffee exports for the crop year (October 2007 to September 2008) has increased by 2.54 per cent at 230,910 tonnes as against 2,25,187 tonnes exported during the previous year, according to the Coffee Board statistics.

In dollar terms, the exports were up 32.09 per cent higher at $586.27 million as against $443.83 million last year. In rupee terms coffee exports have gone up by 27.45 per cent at Rs 2,427.86 crore as against Rs 1,904.95 crore realised last year.

In terms of unit value realization, exports were up 24.29 per cent at Rs 105,143 a tonne as against Rs 84,594 a tonne fetched last year. According to the International Coffee Organization, global exports in the first 11 months of coffee year 2007-08 have decreased 4.5 per cent to 86.6 million bags compared to 90.7 million bags in the same period last coffee year.

Indian coffee exports for first-nine months were also up 6.26 per cent at 184,976 tonnes as against last year’s exports of 174,077 tonnes. “After selling most of the produce, about 10-15 per cent of the coffee is left at the farms. Buoyed by high prices last few weeks, coffee growers are demanding more than Rs 200 a bag,” said B L Harish, proprietor of Blan Coffee, Kushalnagar, a farm gate trader.

Other sources however have slightly different numbers:

IRIS NEWS DIGEST: Coffee export rise 5.75% in Jan-Sep`08

As per the Coffee Board`s latest data, the coffee export from India has shown robust performance during the period of Jan-Sep, 2008 due to a significant increase in overseas sales of value-added coffee, reports Business Line.

As per the statistics, India`s coffee exports rose by 5.75% at 0.184 million tons in the first nine months of 2008 as compared to 0.174 million tons a year ago period.

There has been a quantum jump in value-added coffee exports and it will add-up in the coming months as well. The export of value-added products that largely constitutes instant coffee rose by 101% to 18,739 tons during January-September period, the Board data said.

Meanwhile, export of robusta variety rose marginally by 2.12% to Rs 92,543 tons in the review period from 90,618 tons last year. While overseas sale of arabica variety improved significantly by 19.26% at 42,461 tons, the data showed.

However, instant coffee sales plummeted drastically by 19.96% to 31,233 tons, it added.