BENGALURU: Besides steps to increase coffee production, Karnataka is now taking the lead in the country in harvesting and brewing specialised and customised coffee, based on the taste and demand of international and domestic consumers.
This has come at a time when India is shifting its focus on strengthening its blends and quality, while Brazil continues to lead in coffee production.
To tap this developing market, farmers and brewers from the state recently held a meeting with officials from Coffee Board of India, ministry of commerce and industry and ministry of external affairs. They discussed how embassies can be used to propagate specialised coffee.
“While we are trying to understand the international consumer market to promote specialised and custom-made coffee, we are also shortlisting 15-18 countries where pilot studies can be taken up to sell these coffees on a large scale,” Coffee Board Chairman MJ Dinesh told The New Indian Express.
There are many types of coffee -- wine coffee, cocoa coffee, vanilla coffee and others -- that are gaining popularity. This is apart from region-specific coffees like Arakku, Bramhagiri and Pushpagiri. Youngsters in the business (the second or third generation of coffee harvesters and brewers) have studied the market trends and started improvising traditional coffee. Some of these experiments have gained popularity with customers and the Board is looking to expand it further. Farmers Produce Organisations (FPOs) have also realised the potential and have come forward to partner.
Dinesh said coffee is a traditional commodity and how it is improvised is what makes the product unique. At present, the international specialised coffee market is around 3-5%, but the domestic market is growing at a rapid pace. Some specialised coffee brands have already become popular in domestic and international markets and the Board is working to expand it.
There are four lakh coffee growers in India, of which 2.5 lakh are in South India and 1.5 lakh in Karnataka. Over one lakh hectares of coffee plantations are being added in coffee-growing belts of Odisha, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
The Board is also focusing on harvesting and promoting organic coffee by offering subsidies for cultivation and marketing.
Dinesh explained that in new areas, especially in non-traditional and tribal areas, where coffee cultivation is starting, organic coffee is picking up. People are also demanding it. The rates for specialised, custom-made and organic coffee are very promising. They are one-and-half or double compared to traditional coffee, which is a win-win situation for farmers, he added.
