Libex – A New Climate-Resilient Coffee Hybrid

Why in News?

Recently, Scientists Royal Botanic Gardens, London have identified a new coffee hybrid called Coffea × libex (Libex),

• Created by – Crossing Liberica coffee and Excelsa coffee.
• Indian contribution – South India Coffee Company (SICC) and its research division SICC Labs contributed Indian samples and field expertise.
• Significance – Grow in warmer temperatures.
• Tolerate a wider range of rainfall patterns than Arabica or Robusta.
• Higher yield and better outturn (higher conversion of fresh cherries into coffee beans).
• Thinner pulp and parchment, making post-harvest processing easier and improving coffee quality.
• Current Global Coffee Consumption – The world consumes about 17,000 tonnes of Arabica and 10,000 tonnes of Robusta (pre-roasting) every day.
• These two species account for more than 99.99% of global coffee production.
• Issues with current varieties – Both are increasingly vulnerable to rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall.

Coffee production in India

• Varieties – India primarily cultivates two main types:
  • Arabica (high altitude, high value)
  • Robusta (stronger, used in blends).
• Geographical Distribution – India is the 7th largest coffee producer globally.
• Traditional regions
  • Karnataka – Accounting for roughly 70–71% of India's total coffee production.
  • Kerala – The second-largest producer, contributing about 21% of the country's coffee.
  • Tamil Nadu – The third-largest traditional producer, making up around 5% of India's yield.
• Non-traditional areas – Araku Valley (Andhra Pradesh), Odisha and the North East.

Reference

The Hindu| Libex Coffee