Andhra's Araku Coffee earns organic certification, secures buyers from Europe, Tata group

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh’s Girijan Cooperative Corporation Ltd (GCC) has achieved a significant milestone with its organic certification for Araku coffee, enabling it to enter several European markets and secure a major domestic buyer in Tata Consumer Products, who will handle the marketing and sale of the coffee.

GCC Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kalpana Kumari, said the response to this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Building on this success, the corporation plans to extend its organic certification efforts to include pepper, in partnership with Tata Consumer Products.

“With an organic certification in place, GCC has started marketing organic coffee separately. The response has been encouraging, with orders already received from Tata Group domestically and buyers from Germany and Italy internationally,” Kumari told PTI.

GCC and Tata Consumer Products have inked an agreement to market and sell certified Araku Coffee, an organic product grown by tribals in the Paderu Agency area.

“We have an agreement with Tata, they will be purchasing certified organic coffee. It is organic but the first time we have got certified organic coffee from the Araku area,” Kumari said.

She noted that Araku coffee has always been an organic product, the certification it has achieved marks a major milestone in its journey.

In a major step towards sustainable agriculture, GCC has successfully launched a pilot project for organic certification of coffee in the Paderu Agency area.

Launched in 2019, this initiative has brought 2,600 tribal farmers across 2,275 hectares in Chintapalli and GK Veedhi mandals under organic cultivation, the official said.

According to the GCC managing director, organic certification is a rigourous process, which requires three years to complete, demanding strict adherence to organic farming practices.

To ensure compliance, an Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) approved certification body has been conducting periodic inspections and audits of farmers' records, said Kumari.

Recognizing the efforts of these farmers, the GCC has announced a premium procurement price for organic coffee this year.

Arabica Parchment is being procured at Rs 450 per kg, compared to Rs 400 for the regular variety while Arabica Cherry fetched Rs 330 per kg, up from Rs 250 for the regular variety.

This initiative has not only increased awareness about organic cultivation among the tribal farmers but has also incentivized more growers to adopt sustainable farming practices.

In collaboration with the Tata Group, GCC aims to create a steady market for the tribal produce, Araku Coffee, along with ensuring fair pricing and sustainable growth opportunities for farmers.

As part of the deal with organic pepper, the first supply consignment to Tata Consumer Products is scheduled in April.

“By promoting organic cultivation and securing premium markets, GCC is enhancing the livelihoods of tribal farmers while positioning Andhra Pradesh as a key player in the organic produce sector, both in India and globally,” Kumari added.

Established in 1956 under the Cooperative Societies Act, GCC is committed to uplifting the lives of tribals living in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

As many as 20,000 tribal families are supported by GCC’s market intervention programme, empowering them with access to the coffee industry and equipping them with the necessary tools and resources to flourish in the market.