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Red cherries (coffee beans) in full bloom. The beans bring prosperity to the tribal population in Visakhapatnam district. -- C.V. Subrahmanyam

Visakhapatnam , Feb. 2

THERE is a need to increase consumption of coffee in the country as only one-third of it is being sold in the domestic market and the rest exported, Mr. Ch. Vidayasagara Rao, Union Minister of State for Industry and Commerce, has said.

He was speaking atop Kailasagiri here late on Sunday night, after launching the "Araku'' brand of coffee as part of Visakha Coffee Utsav being organised by the Coffee Board. (Araku is a picturesque valley in Visakhapatnam district, which draws tourists in large numbers and one of the areas where coffee is grown by Girijan farmers.)

The Minister said that of the 3-lakh tonnes of coffee being produced in the country, 70 per cent was being exported and sometimes when prices were not encouraging in the international market, farmers were suffering. "Therefore, we have to increase consumption and strengthen the domestic base to withstand the vicissitudes of the market,'' he said.

Ms Lakshmi Venkatachalam, Chairperson of the Coffee Board, said that due to low prices during the past four years farmers all over the country, including the Girijan farmers in Andhra Pradesh, were suffering.

"In fact, as coffee production in Andhra is in a nascent stage, the cost of production is lower, as low-cost organic manure is being used and family labour employed. Therefore, even at the current low prices, cultivation is remunerative to tribal farmers,'' she said.

The board was also encouraging farmers to grow inter-crops such as pepper and therefore tribal coffee from the non-traditional areas of Andhra Pradesh would have no problem, she said.

The Coffee Board would make all attempts to promote Araku brand in the international market, as ''Arabica coffee from this region is grown organically. We have here a good candidate for the label of fair trade coffees. Therefore, we will try to market this coffee aggressively,'' she said.

Ms Venkatachalam said the Coffee Board was eyeing certain pockets of the North-East next in its bid to expand coffee cultivation in the country.

More Stories on : New Products & Services | Coffee | Andhra Pradesh

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