The coffee grown by tribal farmers in Visakhapatnam’s Araku Agency has received organic certification. The Girijan Cooperative Society (GCC) has been selling it under the name ‘GCC Araku Valley Coffee’ for years. Arrangements are being made to sell it in the market under the name ‘Certified Organic Coffee’. For this, the GCC has signed an agreement with the Tata Company.
Thus, it is preparing to enter the international market. In fact, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had long recognized the importance of Araku coffee. At that time, Rs. 540 crore was sanctioned to restore the coffee plantations destroyed by Cyclone Hudhud. A stall was specially set up under the name of Araku Coffee at the investors’ conference held in Visakhapatnam.
The taste of the local sweetness was shown to those who came from different states. An Araku coffee stall was set up in the Amaravati Secretariat. 2,600 tribal families were trained, advising them not to use any chemical fertilizers. The GCC has taken on the responsibilities of financial assistance, crop purchase, and marketing.
Even though it is a completely organic crop, organic certification cannot be obtained unless it is certified by the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). APEDA does not issue a certificate unless it is satisfied with the way farmers grow coffee after observing all stages for three consecutive years.
For this, the GCC officials have been encouraging the farmers to cultivate coffee. Another Rs. 70 lakhs were spent for this. Finally, APEDA granted an ‘organic certificate’ to Araku coffee last month. Not only coffee, but also the pepper planted as an intercrop in it got organic certification. With that, the doors of the international market suddenly opened.
Demand for Araku organic certified coffee started from many European countries including Germany. With this enthusiasm, GCC is also trying to sell peppers under the name of ‘organic pepper’. The state government has recently sanctioned Rs. 2.2 crore to promote organic coffee cultivation in some other mandals.
“Farmers are growing coffee in all the mandals of the agency. The coffee grown organically is up to 200 tonnes. Ten years ago, middlemen used to pay only Rs. 90 per kg for Arabica parchment coffee. After GCC started collecting coffee, it is paying Rs. 450 per kg. Turmeric is also being grown in Visakhapatnam Agency, Srikakulam district. We will bring organic certification for this too,” said Kalpana Kumari, Vice Chairman and MD, GCC.