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Coffee growers’ ‘KaapiCo’ workshop inaugurated in Sullia

By Editor

Posted on August 25, 2025

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Coffee growers' ‘KaapiCo’ workshop inaugurated in Sullia

Sullia : Capt. Brijesh Chowta said, after inaugurating the ‘KaapiCo’ initiative on Monday in Sullia to promote coffee cultivation with arecanut as a supplementary crop, the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Balehonnur, can develop a variety suitable for cultivation in the coastal belt.

He said that the coffee grown in the coastal belt can be marketed in a separate regional brand name. MP suggested that the Indian Coffee Board explore the possibility of developing a variety suitable for cultivation in the district or in the coastal belt.

Seeking institutional support from the Coffee Board for growing coffee in Dakshina Kannada, Capt. Chowta said recognition from the board to the coffee grown in the district will help farmers a lot in marketing.

“Farmers of the district are not looking for any financial support from the board. The local cooperative societies will help the farmers financially,” Capt. Chowta said.

The MP appealed to the Board to extend institutional support by providing training to farmers in the scientific cultivation and by arranging coffee plants. “The board should recognise Belthangady, Kadaba, Sullia and Puttur taluks as ideal for cultivating coffee,” he said.

Asking farmers not to go for coffee cultivation in a hurry, Capt. Chowta said that farmers should get themselves convinced of the scientific method of cultivation.

The chairman of the board, M.J. Dinesh, said that the board will promote a cropping model of combined cultivation of coffee with other crops. “Model blocks of combined cultivation of coffee with some other crops will be ready at the CCRI in about two months,” Mr. Dinesh said.

Mr. Dinesh suggested that coffee can be grown with fruit crops or with a combination of coffee, black pepper and arecanut. “A farmer in Wayanad has cultivated mangosteen with coffee. He has made a huge profit by harvesting mangosteen alone,” he said.

The chairman said that the CCRI is celebrating its centenary year, and a new coffee variety will be released during the three-day centenary year celebrations of the institute later this year.

He said that high temperature in the coastal belt is a challenge for cultivating coffee.

Mr. Dinesh said that the board has set a target to take the coffee production to seven lakh tonnes by 2047 and scale up India’s position in the coffee export from the fifth largest exporter to the third largest exporter by then. “Coffee is the second-highest traded commodity in the world,” he said.