BENGALURU: Taking a cue from the success of Nandini in the dairy sector, coffee growers in Karnataka are pushing for a similar branding model for the state’s coffee. The Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF) is working on a proposal to create a unified brand called ‘Karnataka Coffee’ to give the state’s produce an identity in both national and international markets.
Federation officials confirmed that preliminary meeting have already been held with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and they are hopeful that the proposal will be taken forward in the coming days.
Despite contributing nearly 70 per cent of India’s total coffee production, Karnataka’s coffee continues to be sold without a unified label which can represent varieties produced in the state. Coffee growers believe that while the region’s coffee is known for its flavour and aroma, without proper branding, it loses value in larger market.
“Karnataka is the largest coffee-producing state in the country, but we still don’t have a common brand that represents our coffee,” KGF President H Shivanna said, adding that if the state creates one, it will improve market visibility and directly benefit growers, specifically in districts like Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan.
He stressed that the idea is to follow a cooperative model similar to Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which helped make Nandini a wider brand. “The Nandini model also ensured fair pricing for farmers and made distribution marketing more efficient. We want to apply the same structure to coffee,” Shivanna said.
Federation officials pointed out that creating a state-backed brand could help bring attention to long-pending issues faced by planters, including frequent human-elephant conflict, pressure from forest officials, confusion around deemed forest classifications, and the need to extend land lease periods for growers.