Bangalore, Dec 28 (UNI) The country's coffee output is likely to drop by 9.97 per cent during the current year due to excessive rainfall and gales during the just ended South-West Monsoon in the major coffee growing states of Karnataka and Kerala, a Coffee Board report said here today.

The total coffee production was likely to drop to 2.67 lakh tonne over the previous post-blossom estimate of 2.91 lakh tonne, the Coffee Board said in its report on 'Post-Monsoon Coffee Crop Forecast for 2007-08.' Heavy rainfall coupled with strong winds damaged coffee crop in both the states. Karnataka had witnessed heavy production loss of 71 per cent followed by Kerala at 28 per cent, the report said.

Coffee Board Deputy Director Radha Krishnan said the crop damage due to heavy rainfall would also have adverse effect on the country's exports.

Arabica production was likely to decline by 8.19 per cent at 92,500 tonne and Robusta by 10.91 per cent at 1.69 lakh tonne over the post-blossom forecast in the country.

In Karnataka, the largest coffee producer in the country, production was likely to fall by ten per cent at 1.91 lakh tonne against post-blossom production estimate of 2.12 lakh tonne.

In Kerala, the output may decline by 14.26 per cent at 49,000 tonne against previous post-blossom production projection of 57,150 tonne, it said.

Apart from heavy rainfall, mist had resulted in incidences of blackrot and stalkrot diseases which would cause decline in production, the report said.

However, Tamil Nadu had a good South West Monsoon and its coffee output is estimated at 18,100 tonne.

In non-traditional coffee growing states such as Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and North East, production was estimated at 3,325 tonne, the report added.

UNI