Indian Coffee Farmers Install Their Own Automated Weather Stations To Combat Climate Change Challenges – CoffeeTalk

Coffee growers in India are increasingly installing automated weather stations on their estates to mitigate the impacts of changing weather conditions. Support from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, along with various research and educational institutions, has facilitated this initiative. Multiple observatories are currently being established, with ten already operational in key regions like Coorg, Chikkamagalur, and Hassan. Estate owners are motivated to set up their own stations due to the inadequacies of existing IMD observatories—these are often located far from agricultural operations and do not provide timely weather updates, which are critical during pivotal periods of crop development such as blossoming and harvesting.

The Coffee Board is expanding this effort by planning additional weather observatories in other states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh. These stations utilize state-of-the-art technology to provide real-time updates on climatic variations, allowing growers to remain informed even from remote locations. Rishina Kuruvilla, Head of CSR and Sustainability at Kelachandra Coffee, emphasized this proactive approach, stating that by integrating hyperlocal weather intelligence, coffee producers can transition from merely responding to adverse weather events to adopting strategies that promote climate resilience through informed varietal selection and sustainable agroforestry practices.

Additionally, the Coffee Board in Chikkamagaluru is gearing up for the centenary celebration of its first research center, established in 1925. This center has played a pivotal role in coffee research, particularly during the Leaf Rust epidemic that devastated crops in India and Sri Lanka. It spans 270 acres and is equipped with modern facilities including a soil lab and a plant physiology centre, which have produced 450 strains of coffee germplasm.

Overall, the agricultural sector in Karnataka is focusing on leveraging technology to adapt to climatic challenges, ensuring sustainability and productivity in coffee cultivation.

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