Organic tag opens new European markets for Araku Valley coffee farmers

GCC's organic Araku Valley Coffee gains European market access, promoting environmental sustainability and tribal livelihood.

The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) securing the ‘organic certification’ for its ‘Araku Valley Coffee’, has opened up new markets for the coffee, produced by the tribals of Alluri Sitharama Raju district, in Europe. The organic farming methods, promote environmental sustainability besides reducing reliance on harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

The Comprehensive Coffee Development Project (CCDP), sanctioned by the government at Paderu, in the then combined Visakhapatnam district, a decade ago, is yielding rich dividends for the tribal coffee farmers.

The CCDP at Paderu was sanctioned during 2015-16 to promote coffee cultivation as a means to improve the livelihood of the coffee farmers in Paderu region apart from supporting economic growth, and promoting environmental sustainability and social development of the tribal people. Apart from procuring the produce of the tribal coffee farmers, the GCC also undertakes processing and marketing of the same.

The GCC has procured a total quantity of 6,035.882 MTs of raw coffee, valued at ₹7,988.11 lakh, during the last 10 years, benefiting 21,667 tribal coffee farmers. The organic certification was obtained by the GCC for the coffee grown in 8,84.55 hectares, by 1,300 farmers in Chintapalli mandal, and in 1,374 hectares by 1,300 farmers in GK Veedhi mandal.

The coffee price, which had ranged between ₹70 and ₹90 a kg in 2014-15 before the commencement of the project, increased by more than four times. The GCC price has become a benchmark for other buyers. The corporation is also giving loans at a marginal rate of 6% to coffee farmers for their needs.

“The organic certification is a stringent process, which had commenced three years ago. It has opened the doors for new markets in Europe for our Araku Valley coffee. We are in the process of entering into agreement with Tata Consumer Products for marketing of our coffee,” Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of GCC Kalpana Kumari told The Hindu.

“The GCC is trying to fetch better price by marketing coffee in different grades, so that better sale value is realised. The organic certification fetches any additional ₹100 to ₹200, a kg. and the profits are ploughed back to the coffee growers. The marketing by the GCC helps in eliminating middlemen. We have plans to increase the acreage under organic coffee production in tune with the vision of the Chief Minister,” she said.