Coffee production in India may rise 9 percent to 347,000 tonnes in the year starting October 2013 due to timely rainfall in southern states of Karnataka and Kerala, the major producers, the state-run Coffee Board said on Monday. Production in southern Karnataka state may rise 8 percent to 249,115 tonnes, while output from Kerala may jump 10 percent to 70,550 tonnes, the Board said in a statement. Indian monsoon rains have been average or above in the first seven weeks of the season.
Coffee output in India, the world's fifth biggest producer, was 318,200 tonnes last year. India accounts for only 4.5 percent of the world's output, but exports 70-80 percent of its produce. Italy, Russia and Germany are the top three buyers of Indian coffee.