India’s coffee exports declined to 5.4 per cent due to a fall in the shipment of Robusta coffee in 2023, according to the official data. India exported 3.77 lakh tonnes of coffee in 2023 compared to 3.98 lakh tonnes in 2022. India is Asia's third-largest producer and exporter of coffee, which grows and exports Arabica and Robusta variants of coffee.
Notably, compared to Robusta coffee beans, Arabica coffee beans have less caffeine in them. Robusta tends to be more bitter and harsher on the taste buds, whereas Arabica has a sweeter, smoother flavour.
As per the Coffee Board of India's latest data, exports of Robusta coffee beans have declined 15 per cent to 1.87 lakh tonne in 2023, from 2.20 lakh tonne in the previous year. However, the export of the Arabica coffee bean climbed 5.79 per cent to 46,869 tonnes in 2023 from 44,302 tonnes in the last year.
In addition, according to the Coffee Board's data, even the export of instant coffee rose by 6.68 per cent to Rs 1.42 lakh tonnes as compared to 1.33 lakh tonnes in the previous year.
When it comes to the value of the total coffee exports, the value stands at Rs 9,580.58 crore during 2023. The unit value realisation was Rs 2,54,104 per tonne. For India, Italy, Russia, the UAE, Germany, and Turkey are the major coffee export destinations.
The nation's overall coffee production for the 2023–24 marketing year (October–September) is expected to reach 3,74,200 tonnes, according to the board's post–blossom projection. This is more than the 3,52,000 tonne actual output for the previous year.
Meanwhile, In terms of value, India's coffee exports reached a record high in 2023 due to rising worldwide prices. This is true even if volumes have decreased as a result of lower offtake by significant customers in Russia and Europe.