Indians are addicted to coffee more than tea because of its strong aroma and overall mood-refreshing and energy-boosting properties. Along with consumption within the country, many countries have partnerships with India to produce Coffee in large quantities and export it to that country. For this reason, India has become the largest country in the production of Coffee among the top ten Coffee-producing countries.
If you are a coffee lover, you would know that coffee beans can vary in size and roasting method. Having said this, the cultivation of coffee beans in different parts of India makes it vital in terms of economy & largest exporter.
In India, coffee production is the primary employment source, and more than 2 lakh coffee growers are engaged in coffee cultivation. According to statistics, India produced around 3.27 lakh metric tonnes of Coffee from 2014 to 2015, which rose to 3.5 lakh metric tonnes the following year. According to 2009 data, Indian Coffee accounts for just 4.5% of global production.
Monsoon rainfall states play an essential role when it comes to Coffee grown in different states of India, which is why it is also called Indian monsoon coffee. The major Coffee producing regions in India include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, the least Coffee producing states are Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
As per the data (in FY 2022), Karnataka was the most significant contributor to coffee production in the country at 71.5%. Tamil Nadu follows Kerala with the third position during the same period. Coffee cultivation is dominated by robusta cultivation in India, which accounts for about 71.6% of coffee production in the country.
Market Key Data for production of Coffee
Coffee is not just a beverage but also an art, economy, passion and science. India uses only 20 to 30% of the Coffee in the entire country while exports 70 to 80% to different countries, such as Spain, Russia, Germany, Slovenia, USA, Belgium, Japan, Netherlands, France and Greece. It also ranks fifth among the largest Coffee exporting countries. Before the current fiscal year, India grew 334,000 tonnes of coffee from 2020 to 2021, with Karnataka reporting as the most significant contributor to production in that year.
List of leading Coffee producing states in India
The top 5 states in India produce large quantities of Coffee and export it worldwide.
1. Karnataka
The Indian state Karnataka is the largest Coffee producing state in the southwestern region. It has more than 70% of total coffee production in India. Interestingly, Karnataka cultivated approximately 2.33 Lakh Metric tonnes of Coffee in the last fiscal year, even more than any other Indian state. In addition, Karnataka’s district Chikmagalur produced more than 34,000 metric tons of Arabica coffee beans from 2021 to 2022.
This region of Karnataka is located in southern Karnataka and is famous for its coffee plantations. Some other districts of Karnataka that play a significant role in coffee production include Shimoga, Mysore, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan. Karnataka is the only Indian state with heavy rainfall yearly, and coffee cultivation requires around 100 to 200 cm yearly. And Karnataka offers an ideal climate, rainfall and temperature for producing fresh coffee beans.
2. Kerala
Located on the southwestern tip of the Indian peninsula, Kerala is one of the famous coffee plantation states. It is the second largest coffee producer after Karnataka. Amazingly, Kerala contributes 20% of the total coffee production in India. As per the data, Kerala grew more than 70k metric tonnes of Coffee in the recent year 2021-22, which is the most significant number compared to the previous year.
While more than 60k tons of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans were planted in the state in 2021-2022. The reason behind spotted in 2nd position for coffee production having Gavi with 67800 hectares, Wayanad with 60200 hectares, and Nenmara with 77400 hectares of land. The state has the largest producer of Arabica and Robusta coffee versions.
Some good climatic conditions are required for the production of coffee beans. The state has perfect weather conditions along with a relatively dry season of 70-90 days, making Kerala a suitable location for coffee production. Moreover, it houses the tall shady trees, offering you to grow Coffee under their shades.
3. Tamil Nadu
Yet another southern Indian state that produces Coffee in a large amount. Tamil Nadu has ranked 3rd after Kerala for producing premium coffee beans in India. The state contributes 5% of the country’s coffee bean production.
Pulani district of Tamil Nadu produced over 17k metric tonnes of coffee beans, especially Robusta coffee beans, in 2019-2020. It is also the most significant production contributor to Arabica coffee in Tamil Nadu. The major regions that grow coffee beans include Salem, Nilgiris, Puli and Coimbatore. Some of the varieties of coffee beans produced in Tamil Nadu include Arka Anoop, Arka Komal, Premier, Arka Suvidha, Arka Suman and Arka Smriti.
Talking about the climatic conditions for coffee production in Tamil Nadu, its temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is suitable for growing Coffee.
4. Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh, the southeastern part of India, houses a number of rivers but is not a dedicated region for the production of Coffee. Nevertheless, it ranked fourth and highest Coffee producing in the Indian state after Tamil Nadu. One of the significant regions of Andhra Pradesh for producing Aaraku coffee includes Visakhapatnam.
Andhra Pradesh produced over 10k metric tonnes of Coffee in the financial year 2021-2022. The state produced Robusta and Arabica coffee varietals in the last financial year. The total cultivation was 7,425 metric tons, with Robusta coffee producing 550 metric tons and Arabica coffee producing 7,370 metric tons, respectively.
Some of the significant districts of Andhra Pradesh that grow Coffee include Maredumilli & Paderu of Visakhapatnam, Chintapalli, and East Godavari districts, out of which Chintapalli covers 1484 hector, Paderu covers 623 hectors, RV and RV Nagar cover 1903 hector of land for coffee production. Best of all, it has favourable climate conditions and heavy rainfall areas for coffee plantations.
5. Odisha
Located in the eastern part of the Indian Peninsula, Odisha is a perfect place for growing rich coffee beans. As opposed to other states, coffee production began in the mid of 1958, resulting in a profitable crop in the state. After the immense production of Coffee, Odisha has become the 5th largest state for coffee production.
However, Odisha produced 610 MT of Coffee in the financial year 2021, against 500 MT last year. Arabica is a famous coffee variety produced in Odisha for a long time.
The major Coffee producing districts of Odisha are Rayagada, Koraput, Keonjhar and Phulbani. It is not only a source of employment for most people living in the urban area of Odisha. People also learn new technology, nursery production of coffee plants, processing work and fertilizer application.
The state provides the perfect season for growing Coffee, especially arabica. And this type of coffee variety requires high rainfall and moderate temperatures to grow.
Final Words
India is the largest producer of Coffee and started exporting Coffee to other countries. Hopefully, this intensive guide gives you complete information about India’s largest state-producing coffee.
Santosh Kumar is an editor at unfoldstuffs.com and a professional content writer. With years of experience he is passionate for creating engaging, informative and impactful topics.
