Coffee exports up 125% to $1.8 bn in last 11 yrs
Bengaluru: The country’s coffee exports have jumped about 125 per cent to $1.8 billion in the last 11 years on account of a series of measures taken by the Coffee Board of India, according to the central government data.
The exports stood at over $800 million in 2014-15. It was $1.28 billion in 2023-24 and $1.14 billion in 2022-23, the data showed.
Europe remains the top destination for the country’s coffee exports. The major countries which import the commodity from India include Italy, Germany, Belgium, Middle East nations, Korea, and Japan.
The major initiatives taken by the Coffee Board of India to push the exports include online issuance with digital signature of registration-cum-membership certificate (RCMC), export permit, certificate of origin, regular interaction with the exporters to discuss bottlenecks and addressing those issues, and providing regular global market information and market intelligence.
The other export promotion steps included transit/freight assistance to maximise export earnings by enhancing the market share of value-added coffee.
The government provides Rs 3 per kg for export of value-added products; Rs 2 for shipments of high value green coffees to far-off high value markets such as the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Finland, Norway, and Denmark.
To support the business community for value addition, the board supports individuals, self-help groups, and growers. It provides 40 per cent cost of machinery with a ceiling of Rs 15 lakh for installation of roasting, grinding and packaging machinery.
“These measures are helping us to reach newer markets,” Vidi’s Coffee Founder Divya Shree G S said.
Further, according to Coffee Board CEO and Secretary M Kurma Rao, in India coffee is cultivated under a diverse canopy of native and mixed shade trees and this system supports biodiversity, ensures soil and water conservation, enhances carbon sequestration and sustains livelihoods for small and marginal farmers by offering opportunities for crop diversification.
Veteran Coffee grower from Coorg Bose Mandana said India is one of the few countries which is promoting shade grown coffee.
“This helps in protecting forests. It is a sustainable way to grow coffee and it will help India deal with EU’s deforestation regulation,”
Mandana said.
