VIJAYAWADA: Araku Coffee, a GI-tagged organic coffee cultivated by 1.5 lakh tribal farmers in Andhra Pradesh’s Araku Valley, has earned a prestigious spot in the Indian Parliament as part of a nationwide campaign to promote the brand.
Two exclusive stalls were inaugurated on Monday—one at Parliament House by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and another at the MPs’ Refreshment Canteen by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. The stalls, set up under the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s approval, will operate until March 28.
The initiative aims to introduce parliamentarians to the unique fruity and floral notes of Araku Coffee, with sample packets distributed to MPs to further promote its heritage.
The launch event was attended by Union Ministers Ram Mohan Naidu, Jual Oram, TDP MPs, Tribal Welfare Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani, GCC Chairman Kidari Shravan Kumar, Visakhapatnam MP Sribharat, and Anakapalli MP CM Ramesh, who played a key role in the initiative.
Grown at an altitude of 2,985 feet in the Eastern Ghats across 10 mandals of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Araku Coffee is the world’s first terroir-mapped coffee, consistently scoring above 90 on a 100-point specialty scale. Cultivated under silver oak shade by Adivasi farmers, it has earned global recognition, including a Gold Medal at the Prix Epicures OR 2018 in Paris and a showcase at the G20 Summit in Delhi.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the coffee as a ‘tribal treasure,’ emphasising its role in promoting Brand Bharat, while Rijiju described it as a symbol of empowerment. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who envisions Araku Coffee as India’s ‘next Starbucks’ with plans for over 100 premium outlets nationwide, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for highlighting its flavour in ‘Mann Ki Baat.’
The GCC offers farmers a competitive price of Rs 285 per kg for Parchment coffee and is set to establish a Coffee Processing Unit in Dounuru village by 2024-25. This initiative strengthens India’s commitment to promoting organic products.