Coffee picking in parts of Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu slowed down during the peak harvest season after a large number of migrant workers returned to West Bengal for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) verification exercise. The sudden labor shortage raised wage demands from the remaining workers, leaving growers caught between the risk of crop damage in the event of harvest delays and the burden of higher labor costs.
The period between November and March is the peak harvest season for Robusta coffee, when labor requirements are highest and timing is critical, said N. Bose Mandanna, former vice-chairman of the Coffee Board of India. He added that the coffee cherries must be harvested at the right stage of ripeness, but the process became a hurdle as many migrant workers returned to their native areas for more than 10 days for verification.
Delay threatens quality, yield
If the harvest is delayed, the cherries either overripe or wither and fall to the ground where they become damaged and unusable, leading to losses. “The quality goes down immediately if the fruit is not harvested on time,” he said, adding that when the fruit is harvested at the right time, the pulp obtained during processing is of the best quality, increasing prices for farmers, and that any delay has a direct impact on the quantity harvested and the quality of the coffee produced.
Early rains
Apart from the disruption caused by workers leaving for SIR verification, Abhishiek Ponnappa, planter and representative of Kodava Coffee Growers, said untimely rains in parts of Karnataka and Kerala in January this year caused a double whammy for farmers. The rains have prevented the coffee plant from drying properly, while continued harvesting in wet conditions risks damaging the plants and affecting next year’s harvest.
Migrant workers usually return to their home states either before the coffee harvest begins or after it ends in March. But this time, labor shortage was a problem throughout January due to SIR verification as workers started receiving notices and left at extremely short notice, Harish Maharishi, who owns a plantation in Mudigere, told Chikkamagaluru.
Local workers tied to tourism
In Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu, local workers are largely unavailable in plantation areas as the growth of tourism has absorbed much of the local workforce, leaving coffee businesses heavily dependent on migrant labour, planters said.
The production of one ton of Robusta green coffee requires about 4,500-4,700 kg of coffee beans. In Indian conditions, an average acre of Robusta yields around 600-700 kg of fruit. At the usual harvest rate of ₹5 per kg and assuming a picker harvests about 200 kg per day, harvesting one acre of Robusta plantation would require roughly 15-17 workers, Mr. Mandana explained.
Rising wages
Another concern amid widespread labor shortages is a sharp increase in wage demands, planters said.
Under normal conditions, Robusta pickers get ₹4–5 per kg as the variety allows for large volumes to be harvested in a day. The coffee each worker chooses is weighed and the wage is calculated accordingly. An average worker, Mr. Mandana explained, earns ₹476.11 a day, but those who pluck 200-250 kg can earn ₹800-1,200 in a single day. When labor becomes scarce, workers, planters say they are now witnessing, demand higher rates of ₹7-8 per kg, sharply increasing the cost of cultivation, leading to a difference of at least ₹600 per worker per day for the same amount of coffee harvested.
Published – 31 Jan 2026 20:15 IST
