With the opening of several outlets across the state and a sudden crazy piquing of interest among the coffee enthusiasts as well as common people, Koraput Coffee, a homegrown coffee variety, has been attracting the attentions of many. Thanks to the conscious projection and planned marketing of this local brand of coffee, it is made available at every new hangout zone and revamped public spaces.
Koraput Coffee, launched in 2019 under retail chain Adisha, may face tough competition from much-fancied, already-established and leading brands, but it is close to every Odia heart. More importantly, it’s transforming lives and livelihoods of a large number of people in the state, mostly in the Koraput district where it’s a source of survival for a large number of tribal populations.
The mountainous Koraput district with its high-altitude presence (3000 feet above sea level) is bestowed with a cool climate and ample rainfall which provides the area with a perfect set up for coffee cultivation. The beauty of the coffee here is that it’s a 100 percent Arabica coffee. While the Koraput Coffee is currently trying to set its feet in the global market through Tata Coffee that has agreed to market this deshi variety, it’s noteworthy that more than 5000 tribal coffee growers or farmers from the district depend on it for their living.
The Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Limited (TDCCOL), a State-level Apex Cooperative functioning under the administrative control of ST & SC Development Department, Govt. of
Odisha has been working with the coffee growers in the Koraput district through direct procurement of fruit cherries from the community.
TDCCOL that has been active since 1964 and has been working towards the upliftment of tribal communities in the district, has also been doing all the value additions in the coffee supply chain to serve the end user. TDCCOL has its in-house unit except pulping of fruit cherry which is being done at the facility at the Coffee Board of India to bring the final product to the end user. TDCCOL has branded the coffee as “Koraput coffee” and single-handedly manages the marketing & promotion of the coffee and promotes the brand on social media platforms.
TDCCOL’s intervention in coffee cultivation came as a relief for local tribal cultivators who used to suffer due to lack of knowledge of post-harvest management, unavailability of infrastructure and market linkage support. Coffee farmers used to incur heavy losses due to distressed sale enforced upon them by local trade cartels and middlemen. TDCCOL not only disrupted the wrong practices and knowledge gap but also took various steps to support the coffee growers sustainably and bring stability in its cultivation. It radically transformed the supply chain by making it more transparent and providing proper market-linkage.
Roopa Roshan Sahoo, commissioner-cum-secretary, ST & SC Development Department, lauds the collaborative efforts put forward by TDCCOL in association with Mission Shakti, ORMAS, Odisha Tourism to promote Koraput Coffee along with other minor forest produces and cereals such as tamarind, sal seeds, millets and more to empower tribal communities.
She shared a post on X highlighting the happiness and empowerment, TDCCOL brings to tribal people through market linkage and other supports in collaboration with other departments mostly with Mission Shakti, ORMAS and Odisha Tourism under the guidance of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Like TDCCOL, the Coffee Board of India, an autonomous organization under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has also been a strong support system for the coffee production in the country. The Coffee Board provides various assistance to coffee growers, imparts training and skill development, supports in research and marketing. The coffee board also carries genome study and develops climate resilient and other varieties and looks for avenues to expand coffee cultivation arena in the country.
Koraput Coffee cultivation and collection have been immensely supported by the Coffee Board of India. The coffee board in association with Government of Odisha have been working towards bringing more tribal communities into the fold of coffee cultivation by providing every possible support and helping the tribals shift from podu-farming to coffee plantation.
The board also conducts basic coffee brewing technique ‘bean to brew’ and Barista (Coffee artist) training sessions for coffee enthusiasts with a focus on marginalized sections mostly participants from SC & ST communities. The Quality Control Division of Coffee Board conducts such Barista Skills and Brewing techniques across the country. The board holds a 5-day brewing technique training session at Berhampur in Odisha in the coming week.
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