Assertion(A): India is one of the leading coffee producers in the world. Reason (R): The southern States are the traditional coffee growers in India.

Assertion (A) is true as India is a leading global coffee producer, ranking as the seventh or eighth largest producer and contributing approximately 3.17% to 3.5% of global production [4]. Reason (R) is also true, as coffee cultivation in India is traditionally concentrated in the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, which account for nearly 96% of the country's total output [6]. Historically, cultivation began in the Baba Budan Hills of Karnataka and remains centered in the Western Ghats [3]. However, (R) is not the correct explanation for (A). India's status as a leading producer is a result of its significant export volume (nearly 70% of production), high-quality Arabica and Robusta varieties, and favorable tropical highland climates, rather than simply the geographic location of its traditional growing regions [4].

Sources

1. [1] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Coffee > p. 34
2. [4] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2196210&reg=3&lang=1
3. [6] https://coffeeboard.gov.in/about-us_hindi.html
4. [2] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=156255&ModuleId=3&reg=6&lang=1
5. [3] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation > Food Crops other than Grains > p. 86