Coffee Dasara is expected to make its debut during this year’s Madikeri Dasara 2024.

Madikeri MLA Mathar Gowda, who held a meeting with officials and representatives from various coffee growers’ associations in Madikeri on Wednesday, said the Coffee Dasara scheduled to be held on October 6 and 7 at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri should serve to provide useful information related to innovation in the coffee sector is provided to the people.

The stalls to be put up as part of Coffee Dasara can also feature cafes.

He said Coffee Dasara should provide information related to alternative farming like bamboo farming, dairy farming, apiculture or rearing honey bees to the visitors.

Apart from officials from the Coffee Board, agriculture experts and representatives from Karnataka Growers’ Association and Kodagu Planters’ Association should be invited to Coffee Dasara so that they can share their valuable knowledge with the people.

According to Madikeri Dasara’s Cultural Sub-Committee president Anil H.T., Coffee Dasara will feature 32 stalls, which will remain open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on October 6 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 7.

Seminars on agriculture sector will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both days with experts from the field of agriculture participating in the programmes. A logo related to Coffee Dasara will soon be released, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / September 25th, 2024

In the memorandum submitted to the ministry by CA Subbaiah, the president of the Association, the members allege that the draft notification readied by the HLWG of the Western Ghats is not based on factual data.

Western Ghats (Representative Image)

Madikeri :

The Kodagu District Small Growers’ Association has submitted a memorandum to the Central Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change opposing the High Level Working Group (HLWG) report on the Western Ghats (WG).

The growers have objected to the draft notification for creating an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in the Western Ghats as they allege that the criteria to identify the ESAs have not been done factually.

In the memorandum submitted to the ministry by CA Subbaiah, the president of the Association, the members allege that the draft notification readied by the HLWG of the Western Ghats is not based on factual data. The memorandum explains that the ESA has been recognized in areas with high biological richness with low and medium fragmentation where the population density is lower than 100 persons per square kilometer.

However, in the memorandum, the growers share that ‘the inhabitants of the WG are compelled to suffer regulations under the proposed draft notification’.

The association alleges that the Karnataka state government has not woken up to the ground realities and has not initiated attempts at the panchayat level to assess implications of implementing the proposed ESAs.

“While global climate change is a grave matter and has to be treated at the national level, it is not fit that only a part of the population in the country has to bear the burden of mitigating the challenge,” alleges the association.

While the growers state that they have no reservations for the prohibition on establishment of heavy industries, mining, thermal and other commercial projects, they demand that the locals be allowed to extract stone and sand for their own needs. Further, the association opposes the concession given to hotels/hospitality set-ups to continue functioning at ESAs if they have waste water setups as the growers opine that this is ‘pandering to cooperate and capital interests’.

While the forum acknowledges the Wayanad disaster in Kerala, they share that faulty execution of development projects without proper consideration of geological factors as the reason for the disaster.

“The responsibility of environmental degradation and habitat loss vests with the government and corporate. Mining, industries, large power projects etc were not set up by the inhabitants of Western Ghats. The forest bureaucracy and the mainstream environmental NGOs are solely responsible for the state of affairs in the Western Ghats and this needs to be corrected,” demands the association through the memorandum submitted to the central ministry. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Pragna G R / September 25th, 2024

The species identified are — Coffea stenophylla, Coffea racemosa, Coffea liberica and Coffea excelsa.

Representative Image

Bengaluru :

As climate change is affecting harvesting and cropping patterns of all agriculture produce, coffee growers too are facing challenges. To address the issue, researchers are working on climate-resilient coffee varieties.

Centre for Excellence of Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) in Kodag is concentrating on four wild varieties which are found to be climate resilient. The species identified are — Coffea stenophylla, Coffea racemosa, Coffea liberica and Coffea excelsa.

New coffee varities will have to be blended

“There is resistance in these wild varieties as they have stood the natural test of time. They have strength in their roots, have high yields and can withstand high temperatures. The four varieties are different from the existing and popular Arabica and Robusta coffees. During research, these varieties were found growing naturally in the wild and even in the estates of some coffee growers,” said Jeena Devasia, Divisional Head, Plant Breeding and Genetics, CCRI, Chettahalli substation, told The New Indian Express.

During the study, researchers found historical evidence to show that Robusta is equal to Coffea stenophylla in taste and texture. “If all goes well, consumers will soon get a new climate-resilient coffee variety to choose from,” she said.

Researchers said wild varieties are found all over India. Some are also found in the Himalayan zone, growing naturally as trees. “The region under coffee cultivation is gradually increasing in India,” added Jeena.

Some companies are exporting some of the wild coffee varieties that are growing in their estates. Komal Sable, South India Coffee Company Partner, said they are exporting around 5.5 tonnes of green Coffea excelsa to the US, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and other places. While some countries are consuming it as single origin and others are blending it, he added.

Explaining the advantages and disadvantages, coffee tasters and traders said it could be difficult for consumers to immediately accept the new variety as they have a set taste suiting their platter. The new varieties are climate resilient and need less pesticides. They are less acidic in nature and are more sweet. Some even have a fruity flavour and are less bitter.

Coffee Board officials said that when these varieties are launched in the domestic market, they will have to be blended to meet the consumers’ demand.

Experts said there are around 120 globally identified and accepted coffee varieties. The list continues to have additions and deletions depending upon research and quality reports. Tests and tasting is an ongoing process and is the need of the hour, they added.

Karnataka produces

72,020 metric tonnes of Arabica coffee

1,76,000 metric tonnes of Robusta coffee

Total area under coffee production — 2,48,020 acres (70.5% of coffee-growing areas in the country)

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Bosky Khanna / September 24th, 2024