India's coffee exports rise 13.39% in 2015-16

India's coffee exports jumped by 13.39 percent to 3,19,733 tonnes in 2015-16 fiscal over the previous year, on slight increase in the shipment of instant coffee and other varieties.

The country had shipped 2,81,987 tonnes of coffee in the previous fiscal, Coffee Board said in its latest report.

"Though unit value realisation remained less due to lower global prices, the overall quantity of exports were up 13.39 percent as there was increase in shipments of value-added products like instant coffee," a senior Board official said.

Instant coffee exports rose to 97,000 tonnes from 94,000 tonnes in the said period, the official added.

In value terms, total exports increased to Rs 5,204 crore in the last fiscal from Rs 4,877 crore in 2014-15, as per the Board data.

Due to weak global prices, unit value realisation remained lower at Rs 1,62,774 per tonne as against Rs 1,72,970 per tonne in the said period.

Besides instant coffee, India exports both arabica and robusta varieties. Major export destinations are Italy, Germany, Turkey, Russian Federation and Belgium among others.

Going forward, the Board official said that it will work towards strengthening high-value export markets like the European Union, the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Scandinavian countries.

As per post-monsoon estimate, the country's coffee output is pegged at 3,50,000 tonne for 2015-16 crop year (October- September), against 3,27,000 tonne in the last year. The harvesting of the 2015-16 crop has been completed.