Sanketh Appaiah, a young coffee planter in a village near Madikeri in north Kodagu, is now the proud owner of a new SUV thanks to the rising prices of coffee over the past three months. The 42-year-old is happily driving his new vehicle across the hilly terrain of the small district in south Karnataka.
The soaring prices of coffee beans, driven by a global shortage in crop production, have provided a ray of hope for coffee growers in Karnataka, which is the highest coffee-growing State in India. Currently, at a 15-year high, these prices are a boon for growers who have weathered a tumultuous decade.
“I own an 8-acre Robusta coffee plantation. For the first time in 15 years, the coffee price has increased, helping me to fulfil my plan of buying a new SUV this year,” said a visibly thrilled Appaiah. Like him, many coffee planters who are experiencing good prices after a decade are investing in various assets, such as plots of land, apartments, houses, and new vehicles.
