Coffee Board of India grades (Plantation, Cherry, Parchment)

India names its green coffee by species and process first ('Plantation' is washed arabica, 'Cherry' is unwashed, 'Parchment' is washed robusta) and then by shape and size letters (PB, A, AB, B, C), with Blacks, Bits and Bulk as residual grades. The Coffee Board of India administers export registration and ICO certificates of origin, and the distinctive Monsooned Malabar preparation has its own AA/A/Triage grades.

India

Grades
5
Defect sample
not published
Screen sizes
1listed
Origins using it
1

The grades

In this atlas's own words
GradeWhat it requires
Arabica Plantation (washed) PB, A, B, CWashed arabica sorted by shape and size: PB peaberry, then A (largest flat), B, C; residual Blacks, Bits and Bulk.
Arabica Cherry (unwashed) PB, AB, CNatural arabica with the same shape/size logic.
Robusta Parchment (washed) PB, AB, CWashed robusta grades.
Robusta Cherry (unwashed) PB, AB, CNatural robusta grades; Robusta Cherry AB is India's main export.
Monsooned Malabar AA / A / TriageNatural arabica or robusta exposed to monsoon winds in coastal warehouses, swelling and paling, graded by size.

How it is measured

Screen sizes

  • Trade listings quote Plantation A at screen 17-18 and Robusta Cherry A retained on 6.65 mm (screen 17), but official screen tables were not retrieved

Defects

The Indian Standard (IS 4074 family) sets moisture limits of 10.5% for washed Plantation and Parchment and 11.5% for unwashed Cherry types, and groups grades into commercial, premium, specialty and miscellaneous categories.

Altitude terms

None used.

Screen sizes per grade are not verified against a Coffee Board document; the FSSAI-hosted IS 4074 text timed out on fetch.

Other grading systems