Policy, production concerns dominate KPA annual media briefing

The Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), representing over 70% of India’s coffee growers, has reiterated its long-standing objections to the Centre’s draft Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification. Speaking ahead of the commodity body’s Annual General Meeting in Chikmagaluru, President Salman Baseer urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to give due weight to submissions filed by the body since 2012

The draft ESA proposal aims to legally protect 56,825.7 sq km of the fragile mountain range across six states. However, states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Goa have consistently opposed it, citing concerns that satellite mapping inaccurately covers inhabited villages, infrastructure, and private patta lands, thereby threatening regional livelihoods.

Anil Mathew, vice president of the United Planters’ Association of South India (UPASI), pointed out a critical lack of clarity in the draft. “While the preamble states that land can be used for agricultural purposes, this must be explicitly codified into the operative part of the notification. We have requested the government to insert a definitive non-restrictive clause for agriculture,” Mathew said. The KPA is also seeking exemptions for eco-friendly estate processing from rigid industrial bans, alongside allowances for regulated local resource extraction and captive renewable energy.

Coffee output faces downside risks

On the commodity front, global coffee markets remain highly dynamic but volatile due to geopolitical and weather risks. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) estimates global coffee production for 2025–26 at 178.83 million bags, up by 2 million bags from the previous year.

Karnataka commands 71% of India’s coffee production and 72% of its exports. While the Coffee Board’s initial post-blossom estimate targets a robust 2.79 lakh metric tonnes (MT) for the State, the KPA warned of impending downward revisions. “Erratic rainfall deficits, uneven monsoons, and emerging pest pressures across the Western Ghats are likely to shrink final harvest figures, particularly in Arabica-heavy zones,” Baseer cautioned.

Karnataka’s pepper, cardamom shine amid global crises

Despite a global contraction in black pepper production to 5.20 lakh tonnes in 2025, and a subsequent 10.5% drop in India’s domestic output (93,716 tonnes), Karnataka has solidified its dominance, as per KPA analysis. The state produced 63,387 tonnes, contributing an overwhelming 67.6% to the national total, despite a minor 4% year-on-year local decline. This supply crunch pushed domestic pepper prices to an average of ₹697.30 per kg in 2025, surging further to ₹718.32 per kg during January–June 2026.

Meanwhile, India’s small green cardamom production staged a 19.4% recovery to reach 24,715 tonnes in 2025–26. Karnataka contributed 949 tonnes, up 5.2% year-on-year.

A severe 11.9% production crash in Guatemala due to extreme drought created a massive windfall for Indian exporters, KPA said. Indian cardamom exports surged to 15,000 tonnes valued at ₹3,671.98 crore—a staggering 134.4% jump in earnings. Average domestic auction prices stood strong at ₹2,534.08 per kg, positioning Karnataka’s plantation sector as a resilient player amid shifting global supply chains.