Where Is Coffee Grown In India?

India is renowned for coffee production and is counted among the top 10 coffee-producing countries. Indian coffee beans are among the best in the world due to the nation's shading methods and for over 2.5 lakh growers, coffee production is a primary source of income. In India, Arabica and Robusta are the two types of coffee grown.

Most of the coffee grown in India is exported to other nations like Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, Russian Federation, the U.S.A., and Australia, amounting to more than 70% of the national production. But, exactly where is coffee grown in India? The country's coffee is largely cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, among which, Karnataka produces the most with over 70% of the total output. In this article, we shall cover all these various states where coffee is grown in India.

Odisha

The eastern state of Odisha is one of the top coffee-producing states in India, with a yearly output of 550 Metric Tonnes. The type of coffee grown in Odisha is Arabica, which requires moderate temperatures and high rainfall to thrive. The four main coffee-producing regions in Odisha are Koraput, Rayagada, Phulbani and Keonjhar.

Andhra Pradesh

With a production rate of 7,425 metric tonnes that includes both Arabica and Robusta beans, Andhra Pradesh has grabbed the fourth spot on the list of the top five coffee-producing states in India.

Tamil Nadu

Next on this list is the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which produces close to 17,875 Metric Tonnes of coffee. It's a large coffee-producing state and more than 5% of the country's total coffee output. The majority of what is produced in the state are Arabica coffee beans followed by Robusta coffee beans. The primary coffee-growing regions in Tamil Nadu are Pulneys, Nilgris, Salem and Coimbatore. Out of these four places, Pulneys produces the most coffee with a total annual output of more than 7600 Metric Tonnes.

Kerala

With a production of 67,700 metric tonnes, the southernmost state of Kerala is the second-largest coffee-producing state in India. In fact, it comprises more than 20% of India's total coffee output. Robusta coffee comprises the majority of all coffee production in Karnataka, with a yearly output of over 65,000 metric tonnes. In contrast, Arabica coffee is produced in much smaller quantities at approximately 2,055 metric tonnes. Kerala's primary coffee-producing areas are Wayanad and Travancore, which produce more than 95% of the state's total coffee crop. Nelliampathies, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Malappuram also cultivate coffee but to a lesser extent. Similarly to Karnataka, Kerala's coffee plants are grown at high altitudes around 1,200 metres.

Karnataka

Among all coffee-producing states in India, Karnataka towers above the rest with a production amount of 2.33 Lakh Metric Tonnes annually, which is over 70% of the total coffee output for the entire country. Robusta coffee beans make up the majority of Karnataka's 2.33 lakh metric tonnes harvested yearly- typically totalling 1.58 lakh metric tonnes. Arabica is another type of bean grown in 74,755 metric tonnes annually.

Karnataka is home to many coffee plantations, which take up more than 60% of the total area in India that's used for cultivating coffee. There are more than 4500 such plantations in India, and they're mostly located at a high altitude of around 1,300 metres above sea level.

In Karnataka, Kodagu alone accounts for more than 50% of total coffee production. Other notable coffee-producing regions in Karnataka other than Kodagu include Mysore, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan and Shimoga. Apart from high overall production levels, Karnataka also boasts some of the highest yield rates in the country, averaging more than 1,000 kilograms per hectare. The state's favourable temperature and climate conditions are major contributing factors to its large-scale coffee cultivation.