VISAKHAPATNAM: Showcasing globally recognised Araku Coffee as its defining product, Alluri Sitarama Raju district is ready to participate in the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) initiative.
A team from Invest India visited the district on Saturday to examine the ODOP initiative. ITDA Paderu Project Officer V Abishek disclosed they demonstrated the entire process of Araku Coffee production, including packaging and sales. The team expressed contentment with the process.
Araku Coffee has been exclusively grown through organic methods since the beginning. “Local tribals have never employed chemical fertilisers, maintaining the soil’s natural organic quality. This renowned coffee is celebrated as the largest tribal-grown organic coffee in the world,” said ITDA Paderu Project Officer V Abishek.
In the last couple of months, the ITDA has been on a roll, adding 16,000 acres of land for cultivation and actively planting coffee. Coffee shrubs are grown under a canopy of other plants like pepper and silver oak, which not only enhances soil fertility but also makes the crop strong.Around 2,40,000 tribals engage in coffee cultivation across 2,50,000 acres and coffee harvesting occurs between November and January.
“In this region, only Arabica coffee is cultivated due to its suitability for the land. Besides adhering to organic practices, meticulous steps are taken to ensure quality. Coffee beans are never dried directly on bare mud surfaces, as this can introduce unwanted earthy notes to the flavour and cause mud particles to adhere to the beans. Instead, alternative platforms like cement tiles, aluminium trays, and locally crafted bamboo trays are used to maintain the coffee’s quality,” said S Ramesh, deputy director (in-charge), Coffee Board of India.
Stating the coffee production process involves three key steps. Ramesh said, “The first is estate-level processing, which includes pulping, drying, and packing. This is followed by the curing method, after which the green beans, the raw seeds of coffee cherries that have been processed but not roasted, are obtained. Finally, the coffee goes through roasting and grinding.”