INDIAN AREAS OP PRODUCTION 



I, every fifth year being selected : 1885, area 100, exports 100 ; 1890, 

 I ! I and 63 ; 1895, 120 and 78 ; 1900, 115 and 66 ; 1905, 90 and 97 ; and 



and 61. (See prices, p. 391.) 



Production. The coffee produrt-d in India is practically all exported, 

 1 1 nisi important markets being the United Kingdom and France, so 

 that the returns of trade afford a useful check on the figures of production. 

 Tin- \var of lii^lu-st export was apparently 1885-6, when 41 million Ib. were 

 shipped, or about 6 million Ib. in excess of the year's production. Some 

 later (1895) (the record year of production) the exports came to 

 illion Ib., or 7 million Ib. less than the recorded production. 

 Tin- ollicial year of trade returns being from March 31, and that of 

 M-icultural statistics the calendar year, a certain overlapping of data 

 ifi-essity occurs, and, moreover, reserve stocks over local consumption 

 usually drawn upon before the new crop comes into market. But 

 dug it all round, the particulars of area and production are substantiated 

 the actual records of the trade. 



Of the total area, 28,089 acres (according to the Report of the Com- 

 it'ivial Intelligence Department) were under immature plants in 1906, 

 that in the future these will come into bearing and enhance the yield, 

 ry possibly to a greater extent than the reduction due to the age and 

 se of the plants presently returned as mature. In passing it may be 

 observed that in addition to the actual area under coffee, the planters 

 108,581 acres, much of which is available for future expansion should 

 ch be found desirable. Analysing the area of production according to 

 ic report for 1906, we learn that out of the actual area recorded (196,318 

 j), 89,202 are in British India and 107,116 in Native States. Of 

 former 42,646 acres are in the Madras Presidency ; 46,393 acres in 

 >rg ; 74 acres in Bombay Presidency (Kanara district mainly) ; 84 

 in Assam (South Sylhet mainly) ; and 5 acres in Burma. Of the 

 sr 101,489 acres are in Mysore, and 5,627 acres in Travancore and 

 chin collectively. If we disregard the isolation into British and Native 

 learn that the coffee outside the Madras Presidency is ordinarily only 

 jut 0*15 per cent, of the total Indian area. It would thus be quite 

 fe to describe Indian coffee-planting as an industry confined to the 

 Iras Presidency. The chief localities are Mysore, Coorg, the Wynaad, 

 ic Nilgiri, Pulney and Shevaroy hills. The most important districts 

 Kadur and Hassan, both in Mysore, Coorg, and the Madras Presidency 

 >per. 



Yield. On December 31, 1906, there were in all India 31,827 planta- 

 >ns, which gave employment to 24,477 persons permanently and 46,044 

 iporarily. These figures show a considerable reduction on the previous 

 ir, when there were 43,233 plantations. Dividing the figure of area by 

 it of production and striking the mean of all the returns for some years 

 ck, the Indian yield would appear to be a little over 100 Ib. to the acre, 

 it it fluctuates very greatly ; thus in 1903 the yield would appear to have 

 en 139 Ib., while in 1901 it was only 65 Ib. It is probable, however, 

 it in all the larger and better- worked plantations an average yield of 

 to 3 cwt. is usually obtained, in European plantations, and J to 1 cwt. 

 in Native. But even that average is misleading, since it is well known 

 some of the better plantations may yield as much as 7 to 10 cwt. an 

 acre. Hence the officially returned acreage divided by the declared pro- 

 duction, since it involves a mean of good, bad and indifferent results, cannot 



371 



COFFEA 



ARABICA 



Cultivation 



Produc- 

 tion. 



Distribu- 

 tion of 

 Areas. 



Distribution. 

 British Districts. 



Native States. 



Persons 

 Employed. 



Yield. 



