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The Coffee Board is now looking at exploring emerging markets instead of relying on traditional markets.
Addressing the UPASI-KPA coffee conference, Jawaid Akhtar, Chairman of Coffee Board, said: “The board is planning to adopt ‘focussed marketing’ for Indian coffee. A detail plan to this effect has been submitted for inclusion in the 12th Plan.”
“Earlier India was dependent on the European market for its survival. When there was a crisis in that continent, we saw there was good demand in other geographies such as US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
Also South Korea has emerged as a promising market in the last two years.
Value-addition
Akhtar urged coffee growers to focus on value-addition instead of selling in green form. “In the last couple of years, Indian instant coffee exports have picked up. We are now next only to Brazil in terms of volume sold in the international market,” he said.
On the fall in productivity, the Chairman said, “three new arabica hybrid varieties are in the pipeline.”
Four years ago, the board came out with Chandragiri variety and prior to that, the Kaveri variety was released.
The board is also taking efforts to expand acreage in traditional coffee-growing States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, he said.
“After surveying the three States, we have identified 20,000 hectares. We have submitted a proposal to take up development in the 12th Plan,” he said.
“We are also planning to expand acreage in non-traditional States such as Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. But the issue here is that yield is low at 200 kg an acre,” he said.
On coffee growers’ demand to support their efforts to increase mechanisation, Akhtar said the Government is preparing a scheme for the 12th Plan period.
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