MUMBAI (Commodity Online): Global exports of coffee declined significantly this year against the previous year due to sluggish demand driven by global credit crunch. Total exports by member countries of International Coffee Organization (ICO) stood at 6,924,325 bags of 60 kg in September.

However, ICO members had exported 8,088,173 bags recorded in the same month in 2008, ICO a statement said.

Meanwhile, Coffee Board of India said country’s coffee exports dropped by 19.4% from a year ago to 1, 48,305 tone during January to October 5 this year.

Earlier, Coffee Board had reduced its export target for 2009 to 180,000-190,000 tone. In 2008, coffee exports from India stood at 219,583 tones. Export earnings were Rs 1,978 crore for the year, down over 17% compared with the previous year. Unit value remained flat at around Rs 1 lakh per tone.

Exports of coffee in the 2008/09 crop year (from Oct/08 to Sep/09) amounted to 97.583 million bags, an increase of 1.6% from 96.08 million bags shipped in 2007/08, driven by growth in the shipments of Robusta coffee.

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In the 2008/09 crop year, exports of Arabica reached 62.01 million bags, compared to 62.17 million bags in the previous season, while shipments of Robusta totaled 35.57 million bags compared to 33.91 million bags in the previous period.

According to the ICO, Brazil exported 31.552 million bags of coffee in 2008/09, against 27.970 million bags shipped in the same month the previous cycle.

Vietnam exported 17.408 million bags in the season ended in September, compared to 15.774 million bags in the previous season. Colombia has already shipped 8.716 million bags in 2008/09, compared with 11.556 million bags shipped in the previous cycle.

Output in India was hit due to heavy crop loss in the biggest-producing state of Karnataka following untimely and excessive rains and berry-bores menace.

Total output in the country for the crop year has been estimated at 262,300 tones, which is 10 per cent less than initial estimates done by the Coffee Board.