The Hindu Business Line : ‘Increase domestic offtake of coffee’

After a long hiatus: The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, releasing the new Arabica coffee variety “Chandragiri” in Bangalore on Friday. The strain was released in the presence of eminent agriculture scientitst and Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, and the Chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Prof C.N. R. Rao, who are seen with the Coffee Board Chairman, Mr G.V. Krishna Rau (right). –

Our Bureau

Bangalore, Dec. 28

The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, on Friday urged the coffee industry to aggressively push for domestic consumption of coffee.

“Today, the coffee market is export-oriented (80 per cent) and this bothers me. India must have an aggressive and determined push to increase domestic consumption of coffee. The Indian market is a fast growing market. We hope in ten years’ time, the ratio of domestic consumption to exports increased to 70:30 from 20:80 today,” said Mr Ramesh at the commercial release function of a new Arabica coffee plant variety, Chandragiri, developed by the Coffee Board Research Department.

But the growth must not be restricted to the South alone, he added, appealing to the coffee industry to breach the barriers and enter the North.

Highlighting the initiatives taken up to give a thrust to coffee research and farming, Mr Ramesh emphasised the need to adopt a “research driven approach” from “a subsidy driven approach”. Some of the projects undertaken include ‘sequencing of the coffee genome’, development of a ‘transgenic generation of coffee variety’ and organic farming at a tribal belt in Paderu area in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chandragiri hybrid has been developed by crossing Villa Sarchi variety (a semi-dwarf mutant of Bourbon coffee) and Hibrido de Timor (a hybrid of Robusta and Aarabica resistant to leaf rust).

The new hybrid promises good production potential, high tolerance of leaf rust disease and superior bean quality. The name ‘Chandragiri’ comes from ‘Chandragiri’ hill ranges in Chikmaglur where coffee is believed to have been introduced in India by saint Baba Budan. About 21 years since the release of the last coffee variety, Chandragiri has now been released for commercial cultivation in coffee tracts. The Coffee Board can now supply seeds to cover 500 acres and in four years, it hopes to cover 15,000 hectares every year, said Mr G.V. Krishna Rau, Chairman, Coffee Board.

Eminent Agriculture Scientist, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, MSSRF, hoped Chandragiri would become a big brand name to reckon with in the days to come.

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