Coffee exports down by 17% in first quarter of current season

2013-01-01 10:54:11.578 GMT
 

Jan. 1 (PTI) — India’s coffee exports declined by 17 per cent to 47,159 tonnes in the first quarter of current coffee year, latest Coffee Board data said.

The country had exported 56,499 tonnes of the brew in the October-December of 2011-12 coffee year (October-September).

Export earnings from coffee shipments fell by 16 per cent to USD 142.46 million in the first quarter of 2012-13 coffee year from USD 169.46 million in the same period of previous coffee year.

Per unit realisation of the brew, however, rose by 11 per cent to Rs 1,63,593 per tonne from Rs 1,46,949 per tonne in the period under review.

According to market analysts, exports have been witnessing a declining trend due to subdued demand from Europe following the global economic slowdown and Eurozone crisis, falling prices
in the international markets and tight stocks of the brew.

Following a robust demand for coffee in the past years, the country is left with almost no stocks. That apart, Indian shipments have been affected due to rise in supplies from major
producer Brazil, which has softened prices, they added.

In the first three quarters of this fiscal, coffee exports declined by 14 per cent to 2.11 lakh tonnes from 2.45 lakh tonnes in the April-December period of 2011-12 fiscal.

The shipments of the brew also registered a decline of 9 per cent last year to 3.11 lakh tonnes from 3.43 lakh tonnes in 2011 calandar year.

India, the world’s sixth biggest coffee producer, exports the brew to Italy, Russian Federation, Germany, Slovenia, Belgium among other countries.