Explained | Why India’s Coffee Growers Want Weather-Linked Insurance

Coffee growers are increasingly vulnerable to erratic weather patterns. Representative image.

India’s coffee sector, concentrated largely in Karnataka, is grappling with heightened climate distress and growers say the absence of a dedicated weather-indexed insurance scheme has left them dangerously exposed. According to Arvind Rao, president of the Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), farmers cultivating coffee in Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, and Kodagu, districts that together contribute more than 70% of the nation’s coffee output are increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns.

---

A crop entirely dependent on climate:

Coffee cultivation in India hinges almost completely on timely and adequate rainfall. The crop requires blossom showers at the right moment, consistent rains through the season, and stable climatic conditions. Rao according a report in The Hindu, explains that any deviation whether delayed rain, deficient monsoon, or excessive downpour directly affects flowering, fruit setting, and final yields.

He notes that climate volatility has intensified over recent years. Erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, landslides, and soil erosion are becoming frequent, eroding plantations and causing severe production losses. “Coffee responds instantly to environmental fluctuations,” he said. “When nature turns hostile, the crop shrinks drastically and growers face losses they cannot recover from.”

Despite being one of the most climate-sensitive crops, coffee continues to be excluded from weather-based crop insurance, a gap growers argue is both unfair and dangerous.

Why growers are demanding rainfall-based insurance:

The KPA believes a rainfall-index insurance policy is essential. Unlike traditional insurance that assesses damage post-loss, a rainfall-index model would compensate growers based on recorded deviations in precipitation. This, Rao says, would provide a predictable safety net whenever extreme weather hits plantations.

He emphasised that such a scheme should be supported jointly by the Union and State governments, allowing subsidies to flow to coffee farmers whenever climatic thresholds are breached.

The association has already raised this long-standing concern with the Coffee Board of India and the Department of Commerce. The Karnataka government is expected to supply detailed rainfall data to aid the Board’s evaluation of the proposal.

At present, horticultural, field, and commercial crops across India receive climate-linked protection under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) but coffee is missing from the list. Growers say this exclusion has become untenable in the face of worsening climatic instability.

Lack of resilient plant varieties adds to the crisis:

Apart from insurance gaps, Rao highlights a structural issue: India has not developed high-yielding, drought-tolerant, or pest-resistant coffee varieties at the pace needed. This has put Indian producers behind major global competitors.

For context, Rao notes that India’s productivity lags significantly behind major coffee-producing nations. He explains that while Vietnam obtains close to 3,000 kilograms of Robusta per hectare, Indian plantations produce only about 800 kilograms from the same area. A similar gap exists in Arabica cultivation, where Brazil secures nearly 1,500 kilograms per hectare, compared to India’s average yield of roughly 650 kilograms.

He argues that research and breeding efforts must focus on creating robust Robusta strains capable of withstanding drought and Arabica varieties resistant to the shot-hole borer, a pest that has caused widespread damage.

Boosting productivity: What must improve

Rao stresses that India must raise its coffee output by at least 25% to remain competitive globally. He believes this can happen only through a combination of measures, beginning with the development of stronger and more productive plant varieties suited to changing climatic conditions. 

Alongside this, he calls for smarter irrigation and better water-management systems to help estates cope with erratic rainfall. Rao also argues that significantly higher public and private investment in research is essential to modernise cultivation practices. These efforts, he says, must be supported by targeted subsidies and technical guidance to ensure growers can adopt improved methods and technologies effectively.

He also points out that mechanisation remains extremely limited in India’s shade-grown coffee estates. Machines are difficult to operate under dense tree canopies, and a persistent labour shortage has worsened the strain on growers.

He suggests that the Coffee Board, in collaboration with innovators and research organisations, explore AI-enabled tools and precision drones designed specifically for coffee plantations.

Falling production underscores urgency:

India’s coffee output has been declining by an average of 1.1% over the past 15 years. Rao says this downward trend signals the need for immediate, coordinated action by the Coffee Board, scientific institutions, and industry stakeholders.

“Without systemic interventions  from insurance to research  India’s coffee sector risks slipping further,” he cautioned.

To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly call us at 9108795369 or mail us at thekodaguexpress@gmail.com 

Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)