Coffee production drops by 50 per cent in TN's Vathalmalai hamlet
Farmers in the Dharmapuri district reported a significant decline in coffee yields due to poor rainfall and El Nino impacts.
Coffee production in the Vathalmalai hill hamlet of Dharmapuri has declined by more than 50 per cent, according to The New Indian Express. Cultivators attributed the drop in productivity to poor rainfall across the district.
The hill hamlet, located about 25 km from the district headquarters, has an average cultivation area of approximately 250 hectares. While coffee and pepper are predominantly grown there, farmers say the lack of water has hit bean productivity this year.
S Pasupathi, a farmer from Palsilambu village, said the impact of El Nino was severe. He stated that while plants were protected from heat by being planted under trees, monsoon failure caused a lack of water. He noted that a single plant usually yields five to eight kg of beans, but only 2 to 2.5 kg was reaped this year.
Coffee producer B Raman said prices have also been low, noting that prices ranged from a maximum of Rs 520 per kg to a minimum of Rs 200 per kg, compared to Rs 700 per kg in 2024. G Perumal, a farmer from Ondriyangadu, said the lack of rainfall hit the flowering season and bean quality.
Horticulture department officials said coffee is an alternate bearing crop and production varies drastically each year. They stated that while there have been El Nino impacts, they have not been significant and no reports of massive losses have been received so far.