The Hindu Business Line : Tribals blaze a trail in organic coffee production

New Delhi, Dec 23 A model tribal cooperative for producing non-pesticide, organic coffee in a non-traditional area, the first of its kind in the country, is launching its brand product, besides bagging export order from France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The production of Araku Emerald, as a premium organic coffee, is part of a distinct livelihood programme by a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, Naandi Foundation, in partnership with a host of regional, national and global partners — the Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA), the Coffee Board and the tribals of Paderu, consisting of eleven mandals in the heart of the naxal-affected areas in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.

Unique brand

The Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, who launched the tribal cooperative unique brand of Araku Emerald at Thuraiguda village over the week-end, told Business Line here that presently, 60,000 tribals were working in coffee cultivation. Their coffee output was 4,000 tonnes during 2006-07 and in another five years, this would be stepped up to 8,000 tonnes. They also grow pepper. He said the Paderu tribal belt covers eleven mandals and in the Araku valley alone, 8,000 farmers cultivate coffee across 8,000 acres. He said in five years, the number of growers would also be doubled to 1.20 lakh.

Quality aspect

As Araku Emerald is set for export, Mr Ramesh said that the need to ensure that the product gets duly processed under the best international quality standards and a centralised coffee processing plant has been set up . He said the idea was to set up another ten such processing facilities all across the Paderu region within the next six months. He said the plants would be owned, managed and run by tribal women as it concerns the livelihood security of them.

He said one processing unit, which he opened on December 21, would process 200 tonnes of coffee this season and nearly 600 tonnes during the next coffee harvest. He said the Coffee Board would fork out Rs 40 crore and the State government another Rs 36 crore with the balance coming from the local people to make the Araku brand of coffee a distinctive success not only within the country but in the overseas market too.

Assistance

He said that while the Coffee Board would be responsible for all technical assistance, ITDA would help in extension services and Naandi would provide testing, certification and marketing of the organic coffee from this area.

Mr Ramesh said as Paderu is also in the midst of bauxite mining operations, efforts are on to ensure that watering to the coffee cultivation do not get contaminated as the produce to be sold is free from pesticides, fertilisers and other chemicals.

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