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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
NITI Aayog includes Koraput Coffee under ‘vocal for local' campaign
Koraput: Recognising indigenous enterprise and sustainable farming, Koraput Coffee has been featured by under its 'Aakanksha' initiative, which aims to promote rural livelihoods, ecological harmony and the 'Vocal for Local' campaign. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lauding Koraput Coffee, NITI Aayog wrote on its X handle, "From the mist elevations of Koraput, Odisha, nestled at 3,000 feet in the Eastern Ghats, emerges a brew that is rich in flavour as it is in heritage — Koraput Coffee." "Koraput Coffee — A flavour born of the highlands, rooted in tradition and grown with pride," it added. The post praised Koraput Coffee for its premium Arabica beans, directly procured from tribal farmers by the Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL), ensuring fair prices and dignity for the growers. Tracing its origins, NITI Aayog highlighted that coffee cultivation in Koraput dates back to the 1930s during the reign of the Jeypore king. The practice was further institutionalised through govt support in 1958 and large-scale land allotments to tribal families between 1989 and 2016. By 2015-16, the coffee-growing area had expanded to over 1,400 hectares. The Coffee Development Trust, set up in 2017 along with the Coffee Board, has been instrumental in promoting ecological sustainability and tribal empowerment through training programs, land access and market linkages. Women self-help groups (SHGs) play a critical role in nurturing coffee seedlings and contributing to both economic and social development in the region. Reacting to the recognition, Koraput collector Keerthi Vasan V said, "It's a proud moment for the district and everyone associated with Koraput Coffee. Under the Aakanksha programme of NITI Aayog, we had submitted the proposal, and we are happy that Koraput Coffee now finds a place in their list." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The administration has ambitious plans to scale up cultivation. For 2025-26, the district aims to undertake shade plantation on 4,000 hectares and coffee cultivation on 800 hectares. There is also a proposal to involve more local womens SHGs in coffee processing to boost production and make the product more widely available in retail outlets. At present, Koraput boasts 3,500 hectares under coffee cultivation, including 778 hectares of private plantations managed by nearly 4,300 tribal farmers. A govt study has identified 1.46 lakh hectares of land in the district as suitable for coffee farming, underscoring the massive untapped potential for Koraput Coffee in the domestic and global markets.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Koraput admn to open mandis for paddy procurement soon
1 2 3 4 Koraput: The Koraput administration is planning to make mandis operational within the next two to three days, provided weather conditions remain favourable, for procurement of paddy, officials said. Earlier it had decided to open the paddy procurement centres (mandis) for the rabi marketing season (RMS)-2024 from May 25. This time, procurement is being done at the state level and millers from outside the district are also participating in the process. "All necessary infrastructures have been put in place, and we expect to open mandis in the next few days," said Koraput collector Keerthi Vasan V. "At least 35 millers from Kalahandi district have expressed interest to participate in the procurement process, and more millers from neighbouring districts are likely to join soon," the collector added. Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) Ltd has arranged custom millers from outside the district to step in after the Koraput District Rice Millers Association cited storage issues and declined to participate in paddy procurement. Association president Tripati Rao stated that godowns are overflowing due to delays in lifting rice procured during the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2024-25. Farmers, concerned by the delay in paddy procurment, have urged the administration to extend mandi operations. "We request the administration to expedite the procurement process. The monsoon has arrived, and it is difficult for farmers to store harvested crops," said Abhinash Padhi, a farmer from Kaliagaon. The district has been given a target to procure 56,644 metric tonnes of paddy. Of the total, 58 mandis are planned for Jeypore sub-division, with the remainder to be established in Koraput sub-division. Koraput's chief civil supplies officer, Pradeep Kumar Panda, assured that all precautionary measures have been taken to prevent inconvenience to farmers. "Mandis will remain open until the target is met," he said. Around 1,69,789 farmers have registered to sell their produce this season. Authorities have instructed them to bring only fair average quality (FAQ) paddy to the procurement centres.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Koraput Coffee receives two Fine Cup awards
1 2 Koraput: Koraput Coffee has made a mark on the national stage by clinching two prestigious Fine Cup awards — one each in the Arabica Washed and Arabica Naturals categories — at the Flavour of India Fine Cup Award competition. The district administration received the certificate of appreciation during the Know Your Kappi (KYK) Drive-2024 organised by the Coffee Board of India in Bengaluru recently. "It's a proud moment for the entire district and the state as Koraput Coffee was selected among the top four coffees across India in both processing methods and was praised for its exceptional taste and aroma," said collector (Koraput) Keerthi Vasan V. Official sources said the Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd. (TDCCOL), which spearheads the production and marketing of Koraput Coffee, played a pivotal role in this success. "From collecting ripe coffee cherries directly from the doorsteps of tribal farmers to overseeing the complete processing and quality control, TDCCOL's integrated approach ensured consistency and excellence," said Ashutosh Nanda, marketing manager, TDCCOL Koraput. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "This double recognition marks a proud milestone for TDCCOL, making it one of the few institutions in India to receive two Fine Cup awards in a single edition of the competition," he added. Koraput, situated at an altitude of 2,800 to 3,400 feet above sea level, offers a favourable climate for coffee cultivation. The districts coffee story dates back to 1930, when Maharaja Rajbahadur Rama Chandra Deo of Jeypore introduced plantations. Post-independence, the Odisha government, through its soil conservation department, expanded coffee cultivation as part of an effort to prevent siltation in Machkund hydro-electricity project. Today, Koraput boasts over 3,500 hectares of coffee plantations, including 778 hectares of private plantations managed by around 4,300 tribal farmers. The district has also become a model for organised marketing strategies and sustainable farming, encouraging many farmers to embrace coffee cultivation. A govt study has identified 1.46 lakh hectares of land in Koraput suitable for coffee cultivation, underscoring the immense potential for further growth. The district administration has decided to undertake shade plantation for coffee on 1,000 hectares of land 2025-26.
