'Araku valley' coffee to be internatiol organic coffee brand

Hyderabad, May 6 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today said the 'Araku Valley' coffee would be recognised as 'international organic coffee brand' to promote production and use in the country.

Talking to newspersons here, he said his ministry had asked the Coffee Board to take steps to register the 'Araku Valley' coffee as international organic coffee brand on the lines of famous Darjeeling coffee recognised in the world.

At present organic coffee is cultivated in 75,000 acres of land in Araku valley in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. The cultivation would be expanded to 1.35 lakh acres of land in the next five years, providing additional employment to 60,000 people. A sum of Rs 140 crore had been allocated to increase the production of organic coffee in Araku valley in the next two years, he informed.

The production of organic coffee was 3000 tonnes this year. Steps would be taken to double the production in the next five years in the country, he said adding that Nandi Foundation had come forward to promote the marketing of organic coffee.

Earlier, Mr Jairam inaugurated post matric hostel here for Scheduled Tribe girls constructed by his MPLADS fund.

UNI