Essay on Coffee is another important beverage crop of the world

Coffee is another important beverage crop of the world. Coffee is prepared from the seeds of the fruit obtained from the plant.

The plant is 3-6 metres in height. It is native to the highlands of southern Ethopia. Its name has been derived from a highland district of Kaffa, where it was originally grown.

From here, it was taken to Yemen, on the south-western parts of Arabia by the Arab traders and was grown at Mocha in 575 A.D. Later from- Arabia, coffee plants were taken to other parts of the world, where they were successfully grown, so much so, that the original home of coffee has become an insignificant producer.

To-day, the countries of the New World has become major producers of coffee. Coffee has come up as a popular drink not only for the Americans but also for people of many other countries.

Conditions of Growth

Coffee is a tropical plant. It grows best from 0-28°N and 0-30°S of equator.

Coffee plants need warm climate and a moderate supply of moisture for its growth. 18°-26°C temperature during the growing period and 14°-18°C at the time of ripening, a well distributed rainfall of 100-150 cms is highly beneficial for the growth of plants.

Frost is coffee’s worst enemy, thus the plants are grown on hilly slopes rather than in the valleys. Moreover, slopes provide good drainage to the plants.

Direct harsh sun rays and strong winds are harmful for the development of the plants as such shady trees are essential for the protection of the coffee plants. The shady trees are planted along the margins of coffee plantations.

Coffee grows the best in well drained soils which are rich in iron and potash content. Although coffee can be successfully grown on a variety of soils, yet the Terra- Roxa soils are the ideal. It is primarily a hilly slope crop.

Slopes upto 3000 metres are devoted to coffee culture. Tilling of land, tending, pruning, collection of fruit and processing require efficient cheap labour; as such availability of cheap labour is an asset to coffee culture.

Above all, development of means of transportation and availability of market are other important factors, which go a long way in the development of coffee production.

There are two varieties of coffee:

(i) Coffee Arabia or Moka coffee.

(ii) Coffee Robusta.

Coffee Arabia is grown in Yemen. It is of excellent flavour, aroma and taste. This coffee comes from the highland regions of Yemen between 600-3000 metres elevation. Coffee Robusta is a disease resisting one. It is of inferior quality. It is widely grown in the world.

Coffee is the second important beverage crop of India. The constraints of agro- climatic environments have forced coffee plantations to be in a small area.

In India coffee is grown in the Deccan Plateau region. Coffee plantations are in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The state of Karnataka dominates in coffee production.

1. Karnataka produces 80% of India’s coffee. There are over 4600 coffee plantations. They are at a height of 1400 metres and above where rainfall is between 125-150 cm. Chikmaglur and Kodagu account for over 80% of Karnataka’s production.

2. Kerala is the 2nd largest producer with 13% output of India. Plantation are on over 1200 metre elevation where rainfall is over 200 cm. Kazikode, Waynad, ICollam, Kannur, Palakkad are major coffee producing districts.

3. T.N. produces 6% India’s coffee; the Nilgiris (Blue mts) have major coffee plantation concentration. Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore are other coffee districts of Tamil Nadu.

Coffee cultivation has also been introduced in A.P, West Bengal, Andaman- Nicobar Islands, where agro-climatic conditions permit.

India produces 2.5% of the world coffee output.

Trade:

Nearly 50% of India’s Coffee Production is used in the country. A part of the produce is exported to some European Countries. The country earned Rs. 1703 crores from Coffee export during 1998-99.