The largest coffee-producing state in India is:

Karnataka is the largest coffee-producing state in India, accounting for about 70 per cent of India's total coffee production.

Coffee in Karnataka:

• The main coffee-growing districts are Kodagu (Coorg), Chikkamagaluru and Hassan.
• Kodagu is the largest coffee-producing district in India.
• Coffee grows well in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats, at altitudes of about 600 to 1,600 metres, in a warm and humid climate with well-distributed rainfall and well-drained soil.
• In India, coffee is mostly grown under the shade of trees, which helps protect biodiversity.

History of coffee in India:

According to legend, the Sufi saint Baba Budan brought seven coffee beans from Yemen (Mocha) in the 17th century, hidden in his beard, and planted them in the Chandragiri hills of Chikkamagaluru. The hills are now called "Baba Budangiri".

Commercial coffee plantations were started by the British in the 19th century.

Coffee production in India:

India grows two main types of coffee: Arabica (milder, grown at higher altitudes) and Robusta (stronger, grown at lower altitudes). Robusta forms the larger share of India's production.

The main producing states are Karnataka, Kerala (mainly Wayanad) and Tamil Nadu (mainly the Nilgiris and Shevaroy hills). Non-traditional areas include Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (Araku valley and Koraput) and the north-eastern states.

India is one of the top ten coffee producers in the world, and it exports a large share of its coffee, mainly to Italy, Germany and Russia.

The Coffee Board of India, set up in 1942 under the Coffee Act, has its headquarters in Bengaluru.

Several Indian coffees have GI tags, such as "Coorg Arabica", "Chikmagalur Arabica", "Wayanad Robusta", "Araku Valley Arabica" and "Monsooned Malabar Robusta".

"Monsooned Malabar" is a special coffee made by exposing beans to the monsoon winds on the Malabar coast.

Other crop leaders:

• Tea: Assam is the largest producer.
• Rubber: Kerala is the largest producer.
• Spices: Kerala and Rajasthan are leading producers.
• Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kerala is the second largest coffee producer and the largest rubber producer.
• ✗Tamil Nadu is the third largest coffee producer.
• ✗Andhra Pradesh grows Araku Valley coffee on a smaller scale.