Climate change brews coffee trouble in Southern states

The coffee industry is likely to get clobbered by global warming.

According to scientists, over the next two decades, the quality and quantity of coffee beans will suffer, and costs will escalate.

HN Ravindranath of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute Science, revealed this at a workshop on ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Coffee Farming in India’, organised by the Coffee Board of India, Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI).

Ravindranath said that 67% of Karnataka’s forests are vulnerable to climate change; the effects will be less severe in  Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Biodiversity will shrink as a result of changes, and many species risk extinction.

Dr Jayarama, director of research, CCRI, said that though coffee plantations form a part of the biodiversity, they do not support natural biodiversity. Citing the example of planting Silver Oak in coffee estates, he said that it does not provide shelter to birds and is not a native tree species.

Addressing the rising cost of coffee and labour issues, Coffee Board chairman Jawaid Akhtar added that escalating cost could be due to many reasons like opening stocks, production, exports, investment and funds.

He said, “We (Karnataka) are one of the richest areas where coffee is grown. Along with coffee, other crops are also grown, making it a mix of plantations.”

The post blossom estimates for India are 3.08 lakh tonnes, while the final estimates are 2.99 lakh tones, annually. Of this two-third of the yield is from Karnataka, with Coorg leading the roost.

Western Ghats in South India are likely to be less warmer than other parts of India, where there is a rise by 2-3 degree Celsius. The Asian and Indian monsoon models project a change in rainfall pattern, likely affecting the plantations.

In the case of Arabica coffee, climatic regions are affected globally and in India, where rain has damaged 5-10 % of the crops. The cost of Robusta has not been affected.

“Labour shortage and rising costs of labour are universal. A proposal is placed before the central government to introduce machines for harvesting, processing and even picking coffee.

These machines cost between Rs20,000 to Rs80,000, and if all goes well, these machines will be provided to farmers at subsidised rates,” said Akhtar.