Maarg Manthan · Topic 11.18

Coffee: Types, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade

Geography › Agriculture and Crop Geography · Topic 11.18

Coffee is a tropical plantation crop grown for the beans of an evergreen shrub. The main types are arabica, grown at 1,000 to 2,000 metres in cool, shaded uplands at 15 to 24 °C and valued for flavour, and robusta, grown at lower altitudes in hotter weather at 24 to 30 °C and richer in caffeine. Both need 150 to 250 cm of well-distributed rain and well-drained loamy soils. Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia lead production. In India, coffee comes from Karnataka, Keralam and Tamil Nadu, and most of the crop is exported.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Agriculture and Crop Geography

At a Glance

Types Arabica and robusta
Arabica 1,000 to 2,000 m; 15 to 24 °C
Top producer Brazil
Indian states Karnataka, Keralam (Kerala), Tamil Nadu
Indian body Coffee Board, Bengaluru
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Agriculture and Crop Geography

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the cereal crops and begins the study of plantation and commercial crops, which are grown for sale and export. Coffee is the first of the beverage crops and shows how altitude and shade shape tropical agriculture. Previous topic: Barley: Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade. Next topic: regur) Acidic leached soil Laterite Desert soil Arid soil, sandy Classification…">Black soil; alluvium Types Long, medium, short staple Top Indian states…">Cotton: Varieties, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade.

What Are the Types and Growing Conditions of Coffee?

Type	Conditions	Features
Arabica (Coffea arabica)	15 to 24 °C; altitude 1,000 to 2,000 m; shade; frost-free	About 60 per cent of world output; mild, aromatic, lower caffeine; more prone to leaf rust
Robusta (Coffea canephora)	24 to 30 °C; altitude up to about 1,000 m; hot and humid	Hardy, higher yield and caffeine, bitter; used for instant coffee and blends
Liberica and Excelsa	Hot lowlands	Minor types, grown in small areas

Rainfall: 150 to 250 cm, well distributed, with a dry spell at harvest and some showers (blossom showers) to trigger flowering.
Soil: deep, well-drained, humus-rich loam; volcanic soils in Brazil and Colombia and laterite or red soils in India. Waterlogging kills the plants.
Shade: grown under taller trees, which protect against sun and frost, give leaf litter and shelter birds. Shade-grown coffee is a model of biodiversity-friendly farming in the Western Ghats.
Relief: hill slopes with good drainage.

How Is It Grown and Processed?

Plantation system: a long-term, labour-intensive plantation crop grown on estates and also smallholdings, with plants bearing from about the third year; plantation agriculture is described in Performance of the Agriculture Sector and Types of Farming.
Harvest: ripe red cherries picked by hand, mostly from November to February in India.
Processing: dry (natural) or wet (washed) processing to remove the pulp and parchment; then drying, hulling, grading, roasting and grinding. Indian ‘Monsooned Malabar’ beans are exposed to monsoon winds to give a low-acid, mellow flavour.
Varieties in India: Kent, S.795 and Chandragiri for arabica, and Sln.274 and Sln.9 for robusta.
Origin: coffee originated in the highlands of Ethiopia (Kaffa). Legend says that the Sufi saint Baba Budan brought seven beans from Yemen to the Chandragiri hills of Chikmagalur, Karnataka, in the seventeenth century.

What Is the Production Pattern and Trade?

World: about 10 to 11 million tonnes (roughly 170 million bags of 60 kg). Brazil produces over a third, followed by Vietnam, mainly robusta, then Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras, India and Uganda.
India: output of about 3.5 lakh tonnes, ranked among the top eight producers. Karnataka grows about 70 per cent (Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan), Keralam about 20 per cent (Wayanad) and Tamil Nadu a small share (Nilgiris, Shevaroys), plus new areas in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the Northeast. Robusta forms a majority of production.
Institution: the Coffee Board of India (1942), in Bengaluru, regulates and promotes the sector.
Trade: coffee is among the most traded commodities of the world. The European Union, the USA and Japan are the largest importers. India exports about two-thirds to three-fourths of its crop, to Italy, Germany, Belgium and Russia, among others, and consumes the rest, mainly in the south.
Issues: price swings, climate stress, which pushes arabica to higher altitudes, leaf rust, white stem borer and labour scarcity. The EU Deforestation Regulation affects the trade, as in Deforestation: Tropical and Temperate Forest Loss.

Coffee supports millions of people along its chain, from small growers and plantation workers, who are often women and tribal people, to roasters and cafes. In India, a large share of the growers are small farmers with less than ten acres, and Kodagu’s culture is closely linked to its coffee estates. Fair trade, organic and bird-friendly certifications offer premium prices, and geographical indications have been granted to Coorg Arabica, Wayanad Robusta, Chikmagalur Arabica and others. Climate change is shifting the zones where arabica can grow, and the irregular rain at flowering has cut yields in recent years. As an analytical point, coffee illustrates how a tropical crop ties highland growers to consumers in the temperate zone, and why fair prices and sustainable certification matter to the producers. The figures are approximate and change each year.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Types Arabica versus robusta
India Regions and Board
Trade Export share

What Came Next?

The next topic describes cotton: varieties, growing conditions, production pattern and trade. Next topic: Cotton: Varieties, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade.

Key People and Terms

Arabica Mild highland coffee
Robusta Hardy lowland coffee
Shade-grown Grown under tree cover
Monsooned Malabar Wind-treated Indian coffee
Coffee Board Indian regulating body
Leaf rust Fungal disease of coffee

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Brazil is the largest producer.
Karnataka grows about 70 per cent of Indian coffee.
Arabica needs altitude and cool shade.
Coffee Board set up in 1942.
Baba Budan brought seven beans (legend).

Do Not Confuse With

Arabica and robusta Highland mild versus lowland strong
Coffee and tea regions Western Ghats highlands versus hill and plain mix
Wet and dry processing Washed versus natural

Memory Hook

Arabica high and cool, robusta low and hot; Karnataka tops, Brazil leads the lot.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the regions and problems of plantation crops. These points add depth.

Region Highland plantations
Environment Shade and biodiversity
Risk Climate and prices

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain the geographical conditions for coffee cultivation and discuss the distribution of coffee in India and the world.”

How to Answer

Types Arabica, robusta.
Conditions Temperature, rain, shade.
India States and Board.
Trade Exporters, importers, risks.

GS Relevance

Prelims: arabica versus robusta, Indian coffee regions, leading countries. GS Paper 1 and 3: plantation crops and trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between arabica and robusta coffee?

Arabica grows at altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 metres in cooler weather of 15 to 24 degrees Celsius and gives a mild, aromatic coffee with less caffeine. Robusta grows at lower altitudes in hotter, wetter conditions, is hardier and has a stronger, more bitter taste with more caffeine.

Which are the coffee-growing states of India?

Karnataka is the largest coffee-growing state, producing about 70 per cent of the crop, mainly in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan. Keralam, mainly Wayanad, and Tamil Nadu, in the Nilgiris and Shevaroy hills, follow. Smaller areas are in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the Northeast.

What are the climatic requirements of coffee?

Coffee needs a warm, humid climate with 15 to 30 degrees Celsius depending on the type, 150 to 250 centimetres of well-distributed rain, shade, and deep, well-drained, humus-rich soil on hill slopes. It does not tolerate frost or waterlogging. Arabica needs cooler highlands.

Which country is the largest producer of coffee?

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee, growing more than a third of the world's output, mainly arabica. Vietnam is second, mainly with robusta, followed by Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. India is among the top eight producers and exports most of its coffee.

What is the Coffee Board of India?

The Coffee Board of India, set up in 1942 under an Act of Parliament and headquartered in Bengaluru, is the statutory body that promotes the research, development, marketing and export of Indian coffee. It provides extension services to growers and runs research stations in coffee-growing regions.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Arabica coffee is grown at higher altitudes than robusta.

True

It prefers cooler highlands.

2 Karnataka grows most of India's coffee.

True

About 70 per cent.

3 Coffee requires frost for good yield.

False

Frost damages it.

4 India consumes most of the coffee it produces.