The Hindu : Front Page : Coffee planters expect bumper crop

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Friday, Oct 27, 2006
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Coffee planters expect bumper crop

K.Raju

Palni hills may produce over 5,000 tonnes

RICH HARVEST: Bunches of coffee fruits on lower Palni hills. — Photo: G. Karthikeyan

DINDIGUL: After a gap of four years, planters in lower and upper Palni hills are expecting a bumper crop of coffee this year, thanks to the excellent climatic condition, timely summer rain and uniform blossoms. The Palni hills is on the track to produce more than 5,000 tonnes of Arabica clean coffee (rice) in the new harvest, despite a minor problem with pests.

Coffee growers in some pockets of upper Palni hills have started harvesting and in other areas plucking of fruits will commence in the coming months. This season is expected to be over by January. Coffee is grown on a large scale in Western Ghats, especially in upper and lower Palni hills and Sirumalai. The Arabica variety has been cultivated in 10,915 hectares and Robusta in 915 hectares at Adalur, Pandrimalai, K.C. Patti, Periyur, Solaikadu, Perumalmalai, Poolathur, Mangalamlombu, Thadiyankudisai, Thandikudi and Pannaikadu.The Coffee Board's post-blossom estimate for 2006-07 is 5,440 tonnes of clean coffee (rice) of Arabica and 296 tonnes of Robusta.

Officials in Research and Extension centre of the Coffee Board at Thandikudi said that many farmers had come back to coffee cultivation this year. "Now, our only problem is shortage of labour," say planters

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