Why in news?

Coffee Board of India, a body that represents coffee growers and the coffee industry in the country, has decided to expand its reach by launching four premium coffees under the ‘India Coffee’ brand as well as two affordable coffees under the ‘Coffees of India’ brand on Amazon.

Highlights:

• It is expanding the reach by launching four premium coffees such as Coorg Arabica Coffee (GI), Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee (GI), 100% Arabica coffee and a blend of Arabica and Robusta under ‘India Coffee’ brand.
• “Coffee Board’s collaboration with Amazon is expected to boost domestic coffee consumption.

Why this branding?

• As international price volatility challenges prevail, the Coffee Board was in the process of strengthening the domestic appeal for pure coffee across the country.

Sourced from Karnataka

• Coffee consumption in the country is on the rise. Through this association, a premium range of coffees will be available on Amazon.in that are sourced from the coffee-producing regions of the country in Karnataka.

Indian coffee

• The country’s coffee exports stood at a rise of 90% in April-June 2022 over the same period in FY 2013-14.
• As the seventh largest coffee producer in the world, India exports 70% of its coffee overseas.
• Acclaimed as a region known for the origin of high-quality coffee, India has created a niche for itself with seven GI-registered coffees that are offered globally, according to Coffee Board.

About Coffee Cultivation

• Second most important beverage of India after tea.
• Indigenous to Abyssinia Plateau (Ethiopia).
• It was brought to India by Baba Budan in the 17th century from Arabia and was raised in the Baba Budan Hills of Karnataka.
• British planters established large coffee estates near
  • Chikmagalur (Karnataka) in 1826.
  • Manantody (Wayanad) and Shevoroys in 1830.
  • Nilgiris in 1839.
• Coffee cultivation requires plenty of cheap and skilled labour for various operations including sowing, transplanting, pruning, plucking, drying, grading and packing of coffee.
• At present, more than 52,000 coffee gardens giving employment to 2.5 million persons exist in India.

Conditions of Growth

• The hot and humid climate
• Temperature between 15°C and 28 °C.
• Rainfall from 150 to 250 cm.
• Well-drained, rich friable loams containing a good deal of humus and minerals like iron and calcium are ideal for coffee cultivation.
• Dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening of the berries.

The crop is not tolerant to

• Frost and snowfall.
• High temperature above 30°C and strong sunshine (Hence, generally grown under shady trees on Northern and Eastern aspects of Hill).
• Prolonged drought.
• Stagnant water (Hence, grown on hill slopes at elevations from 600 to 1,600 metres above sea level).

Responsible authority: ‘Coffee Board of India’ was established through a constitutional act ‘Coffee Act VII of 1942’ under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Production Statistics:

• Coffee Arabica (49% of the area) and Coffee Robusta (51% of the area) are the two main varieties of coffee grown in India.
• Karnataka is the largest producer (about 70% of total coffee production and 60% of the area under coffee in India).
• Schemes for support: Recently, the Centre extended the RoDTEP (Refund of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme to the coffee sector to boost exports.

Top 10 Coffee Producing Countries

• Brazil
• Vietnam
• Indonesia
• Colombia
• India
• Ethiopia
• Peru
• Honduras
• Mexico
• Guatemala

Top Coffee Producing States in India

While Karnataka has historically been the largest coffee-producing state in India, other south Indian states are giving it a tough competition.

• Karnataka
• Kerala
• Tamil Nadu
• Andhra Pradesh
• Odisha

• Mizoram,