Indicative person-day ranges for planning only. Live estimates come from the AI wage simulator and vary by belt, season, and skill.
About the crop
Karnataka grows the bulk of India's coffee, concentrated in the hill estates of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan. Both Arabica and Robusta are cultivated under shade, and the harvest is labour-intensive: cherries ripen unevenly, so pickers move through the same trees multiple times. A reliable, trained crew during the short ripening window is the single biggest factor in a good yield.
The Work Cycle
- 1
Pruning & shade management
Post-monsoon pruning and shade-tree upkeep to set up healthy berry development.
- 2
Selective picking
Only ripe red cherries are hand-picked across repeated rounds through the estate.
- 3
Pulping & fermentation
Wet-processed coffee is pulped, fermented, and washed within hours of picking.
- 4
Drying & grading
Beans are sun-dried on patios or raised beds, then graded and bagged for sale.
Why it's skilled work
Selective picking is a judgement skill — a trained picker takes only ripe cherries without stripping the branch, protecting the next round and the following season. Rushed or unskilled picking lowers cup quality and damages the plant.
Key Facts
Challenges we solve
- Short ripening window needs a large crew mobilized fast
- Uneven ripening means repeated picking rounds
- Cherries must be processed within hours of picking
- Wage disputes and unreliable middlemen at peak season
Typical Roles
- Coffee Harvest Picker
- Estate Pruning & Shade Worker
- Curing Yard & Processing Worker
- Estate Maistri / Supervisor
Harvest Calendar
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