Indian green coffee is exported in two species - Arabica and Robusta - and graded by how it was processed and by bean size. Washed Arabica is sold as Plantation grades (A, B, C by screen size), unwashed coffee as Cherry, and washed Robusta as Parchment, with Cherry AB being one of the most widely traded Robusta export grades. Contracts typically fix screen size, moisture (commonly 10-12.5%), defect count and cup quality, and the coffee ships in 50 or 60 kg jute bags, often with GrainPro or similar liners.
What makes Indian coffee distinctive?
India is unusual among major coffee origins in that virtually all of its coffee is shade-grown. Plantations in the hills of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu grow coffee under a two-tier canopy of native and planted trees, frequently intercropped with pepper, cardamom and other spices. Karnataka - particularly the Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Hassan belts - accounts for the majority of Indian production, with the Western Ghats providing the altitude, rainfall and drainage the crop needs.
Shade growing tends to slow cherry maturation, and buyers often associate Indian coffees with a rounded, low-acid, full-bodied cup rather than the bright acidity of some high-grown Latin American or East African origins. That profile makes Indian coffee a natural component of espresso blends.
India also offers a genuine specialty found nowhere else: monsooned coffee. Beans are exposed to moisture-laden monsoon winds in open-sided warehouses on the west coast for several weeks, during which they swell, turn pale gold and mellow dramatically in acidity. Monsooned Malabar Arabica is the best-known example and carries a geographical indication.
Arabica vs Robusta: the practical differences for buyers
Both species are grown in India, and the choice between them is a commercial one, not simply a quality ranking:
- Flavour profile: Arabica is generally more aromatic and nuanced, with milder bitterness. Robusta is heavier, earthier and more bitter, with a stronger, simpler cup.
- Caffeine: Robusta carries roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica, which contributes to its more bitter taste and its punch in strong preparations.
- Use in blends: Arabica dominates single-origin and premium retail positions. Robusta is the workhorse of espresso blends - it builds crema and body - and of instant coffee manufacturing. Indian Robusta in particular has a long-standing reputation among espresso roasters for being soft and clean for the species.
- Price and resilience: Robusta is normally the cheaper of the two and the hardier plant, growing at lower altitudes. Arabica commands a premium that varies with grade and market conditions.
Many importers buy both: Arabica for headline blends and Robusta for base volume. Knowing which grade name corresponds to which species and process is the key to reading an Indian offer sheet.
How is Indian green coffee graded?
Indian grading encodes two things at once: the post-harvest process and the bean size.
- Plantation (washed Arabica): cherries are pulped, fermented and washed before drying. The resulting green coffee is sorted by screen size into Plantation A (larger beans), Plantation B and Plantation C, with additional grades for bulk and smalls. Plantation A is the premium size grade most commonly specified by quality-focused buyers.
- Cherry (unwashed / natural): whole cherries are sun-dried and then hulled. Both Arabica and Robusta can be prepared this way, and the resulting grades carry the Cherry name - for example Arabica Cherry AB or Robusta Cherry AB.
- Parchment (washed Robusta): Robusta processed by the washed route is sold as Robusta Parchment, graded again by screen size. Washed Robusta is cleaner-cupping than natural Robusta and is sought after for better espresso blends.
- Cherry AB: among Robusta grades, Cherry AB is one of the most common export qualities - a combined A and B screen-size grade of natural Robusta that balances bean size and price for blend and instant-coffee buyers.
Grade names and size bands follow conventions administered in the Indian coffee trade, but the exact screen retention, defect tolerance and garbling (hand or machine sorting) level should always be stated in the contract rather than assumed from the grade name alone.
What specs appear in a green coffee contract?
A workable green coffee contract pins down measurable parameters so that both sides can test the same things. The usual set is:
| Grade | Processing | Typical buyer use |
|---|---|---|
| Plantation A | Washed Arabica, larger screen size | Premium blends and single-origin offerings |
| Plantation B | Washed Arabica, medium screen size | Quality blends at a sharper price point |
| Cherry AB | Natural (unwashed) Robusta, combined A/B screens | Espresso blend base, instant coffee manufacturing |
| Robusta Parchment | Washed Robusta | Cleaner Robusta component for better espresso blends |
| Monsooned Malabar | Monsooning of selected Arabica or Robusta | Specialty low-acid, full-bodied blends |
- Screen size: the sieve size the beans are retained on, with an agreed tolerance for beans below the stated screen.
- Moisture: commonly specified in the 10-12.5% range, measured at loading. Staying inside this band protects the coffee against mould and weight disputes.
- Defect count: the permitted number of defective beans and foreign matter per sample, using the counting method the parties agree on.
- Cup testing: many contracts call for the coffee to be "clean in cup" or to match a pre-shipment sample approved by the buyer. Sample approval before shipment is standard practice and we encourage it.
Alongside the quality clauses, agree the Incoterm and payment mechanism early - our guides to Incoterms for agro exports and payment terms in international trade walk through the options.
How is green coffee packed and shipped?
Indian green coffee traditionally ships in 50 kg or 60 kg jute (gunny) bags. For moisture-sensitive or higher-value lots, bags are lined or the coffee is packed in hermetic liners such as GrainPro, which hold moisture stable and protect aroma during long transits. Some bulk buyers take coffee in lined container loads rather than bags, but bagged cargo remains the norm for most importers.
Green coffee normally moves in standard dry containers. The real risk in transit is condensation: coffee is hygroscopic, and temperature swings between a hot origin and a cold destination can cause container sweat. Careful loading practice - dry, odour-free containers, kraft paper or cardboard lining, desiccants where appropriate, and keeping stated moisture within contract limits - manages that risk. Coffee also picks up odours readily, so it must never share a container with aromatic or chemical cargo.
Documentation follows the standard Indian agro export pattern: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate where the destination requires it, and bill of lading. Our export documentation checklist covers the full set, and our phytosanitary certificate guide explains the plant quarantine step.
Frequently asked questions
What is Plantation A coffee?
Plantation A is a grade of Indian washed Arabica green coffee. The Plantation grades (A, B, C) are sorted primarily by screen size, with Plantation A being the larger-bean premium grade most commonly asked for by specialty and quality-focused buyers.
What is monsooned coffee?
Monsooned coffee, best known as Monsooned Malabar, is Indian coffee exposed to humid monsoon winds in open warehouses on the west coast for several weeks. The beans swell, turn pale gold and develop a distinctive low-acid, heavy-bodied cup prized in espresso blends.
Is Indian Robusta good for espresso?
Yes. Indian Robusta, particularly washed Parchment Robusta and clean Cherry AB, has a reputation for a soft, low-bitterness profile compared with many other origins, which is why Italian and other espresso roasters have long used it for crema and body in blends.
What moisture should green coffee have?
Green coffee contracts commonly specify moisture in the range of about 10-12.5%, with the exact figure agreed per contract. Moisture above this range raises the risk of mould and condensation damage in transit; overly dry coffee can lose weight and cup quality.
Arcas Impex is an agro export house based in Belagavi, Karnataka, India, exporting rice, cashews, onions, green chillis and coffee to buyers worldwide. Explore our coffee export range covering Arabica and Robusta grades from the Karnataka growing belts.
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