Minister for Labour Oscar Fernandes has assured that the problems haunting coffee industry will be solved soon.
Speaking after inaugurating the mega convention of coffee growers from Chikmagalur, Hassan and Madikeri districts, organised under the aegis of Karnataka Belegarara Okkuta at Okkaliga Samudaya Bhavana on Saturday, he said a meeting was held with Defence Minister A K Antony, Minister for Food Sharad Pawar and Jairam Ramesh in this regard recently. After Minister for Finance returns from his foreign tour, two more meetings will be convened and a decision will be taken on providing compensation, he informed.
A discussion will be held with the Governor with regard to reducing the difference in the interest rates between the co-operative banks and commercial bank and re-structuring the Vidarbha package so that the benefits reaches coffee growers, he said.
Alternate ways
He suggested that an alternate ways must be found out to withstand fluctuations like drought, flood and variations in price. Poultry farming, dairy farming, fishing and such works must be taken up as part-time profession. Instead of producing coffee on a mass scale without contemplation, one must look at the market situation. Moreover, means must be found out to increase the demand for coffee through producing coffee biscuits and ice-creams in various flavours. Coffee must be projected as though it is part of our daily food through innovative experimentation, instead of considering it as a mere drink, he pointed out.
Giving his introductory remarks, Okkuta President Attikatte Jagannath spoke about the problems in coffee industry and loopholes in Vidarbha package distribution. It is a general belief that coffee growers are rich. Now, the value of 100 acres of coffee plantation equals the value of a 60x40 site in Bangalore. Weighed under the burden of loans, coffee growers are contemplating the prospective of selling their land to Bangaloreans who have expressed desire to convert the land into holiday picnic spots. The entire industry is collapsing. They are forced to live in fear of confiscation of land by banks, he added.
Exhibition
The exhibition organised as part of the convention for coffee growers from Hassan, Chikmagalur and Madikeri district, was the main attraction. Over 20 companies had kept their produce on display. The chikori free Kapsi Coffee which is being sold directly by Arehalli farmers to customer without the role of middlemen and the coffee grown by women from Sakleshpur and Chikmagalur under Women’s Coffee Promotion Council were the main exhibition malls that pulled the crowd.
Apart from this, tractor, bike and new model cars were on display. Advance coffee equipment, eco-friendly pulp manufactured by Sagar Engineering which saves upto 80 per cent of water, mini hydro-electricity producers, coffee and chilly processing machines of B M Engineering Works, solar equipment, books providing information on coffee, chilly, cardamom, arecanut and other crops, manure and insecticides were kept on display.
MLC D M Puttegowda, former speaker B L Shankar, former minister D B Chandregowda, Taradevi Siddharth, B B Ningaiah, Motamma, B B Shivappa, MLA C T Ravi, Blossom Fernandes, Coffee Board members Kaverappa, D B Subbegowda, P B Chandrashekhar and Shankaregowda participated.
