N. Dharmaraj, President and D.Vinod Sivappa, Vice – President
Mysuru :
N. Dharmaraj was elected as the President and D.Vinod Sivappa as Vice- President of United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) for the year 2015-16 at the Annual General Meeting of UPASI held on Sept.24 at Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
Dharmaraj has over 41 years of experience in plantation business, working with companies like Brooke Bond, Unilever etc. He is currently the Chief Executive and Whole-time Director of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd.
Dharmaraj was Chairman of the UPASI Tea Committee and Chairman of the UPASI Commodities Exchange Limited. He was a member of the Tea Board of India and Founder-Convener of the Golden Leaf India Awards (TGLIA). He is currently a Member of Tea Council of South India constituted by the Tea Board as also a Member of the Core Committee of the Tea Board of India.
Vinod Sivappa, son of former President of UPASI (late) D. Sivappa in the year 1970-71, hails from a coffee growing family for more than 160 years. Vinod Sivappa was on the Committees of Codagu Planters’ Association and also was the Chairman of the Karnataka Planters’ Association. He is involved in many sporting activities. He is a Director of many organisations and various companies, according to a press release from Ullas Menon, Secretary General, UPASI.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / September 27th, 2015
What would life be without spicy food, ice-creams, perfumes, fragrant flowers, late-night parties and alcohol? Ask Sunalini Menon, who swears by this regimen.
No, she’s not a health freak or someone prone to allergies. She’s been practising abstinence for the sake of her passion, which is also her profession.
Asia’s first and only woman professional in the field of coffee cupping (tasting), Sunalini has experienced the aroma of several thousands of coffee types and spent a considerable time in the fields. “I love ice-creams and soft drinks but they affect my taste buds. My profession requires them to be extremely sensitive. So, I steer clear of cold food items or beverages,” she said. The chief executive of Coffeelab, one of India’s largest coffee exporters, Sunalini spoke to TOI on the ocassion of Coffee Santhe, a three-day carnival hosted by Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.
Restraint and discipline are core attributes of a good coffee cupper. “It is essential to preserve the palate, the instrument vital for coffee tasting. We’re advised to avoid spicy food. Alcohol and smoking are a strict no no. Late nights and poor health can be a hindrance to the job,” she explained.
Coffee cuppers have to perform regular tongue exercises not only to keep their taste buds active but also to pick up foreign flavours. “Cupping with experts from other parts of the world helps calibrate one’s potential and understand the coffee produce of other countries. One also needs to perceive through the eyes, nose and palate of other cuppers,” she said.
Habituated to taking a sip and playfully swirling the liquid in her mouth before spitting, Sunalini said her job doesn’t allow her to swallow the coffee, however aromatic and delicious it be. “Coffee can have the distinct enzymatic flavours of apples, apricots, peaches and berries; sugar-browning flavours of chocolate, caramel, honey or those of spices like clove and pepper. It is an inborn acuity of taste, knowledge, experience, memory and good communication skills which help the cupper differentiate one flavour from another,” she said.
Sunalini, who entered the male bastion decades ago, said her journey hasn’t been easy. “I wasn’t lucky enough to be handheld when learning the tricks of the trade. I had to learn on my own, especially the chemistry of the coffee bean. It took a long time for me to be accepted into the fold, but once there, you are in,” she said.
Cupping as a Career
There are certifications for coffee tasters issued by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). The SCAA issues two types of certificates. One is called the Licensed ‘Q’ grader and the other, the Licensed ‘R’ grader. The ‘Q’ grader licence is a certificate for proficiency in evaluating arabica coffees and the ‘R’ grader for proficiency in evaluating robusta coffees,” said Sunalini.
She admitted that coffee tasting as a career could have some limitations.
“To overcome them, one needs to perhaps complement tasting with other jobs such growing, roasting or marketing coffee,” she said.Coffee tasting is more of a passion; it may not help you financially, especially in the first 10 or 12 years. Credibility comes only through knowledge and experience,” Sunalini signed off.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bengaluru / by Sreemoyee Chatterjee, TNN / September 26th, 2015
The corporators-elect of Congress,who are camping at two resorts in Madikeri, were on Wednesday given a special lecture on the rights and responsibilities of the corporators.
Yeshwantpur legislator S T Somashekhar, Tarikere MLA Srinivas and senior corporator Gunashekhar delivered lectures for two hours at Vivanta By Taj hotel.
Senior corporator Padmavathi said that the elected members should understand the stand of their party on a particular issue. She said that they should support their party colleagues in meetings and should launch an attack to counter the Opposition parties. She said that the mayor should allot the funds available at his/her disposal equitably. The members elected for the first time heard the lectures attentively.
Some members expressed the opinion that the poor and the downtrodden had overwhelmingly voted for them. Hence, special programmes should be launched for their welfare. The corporators-elect cancelled their plan to visit the Dubare elephant camp in order. According to sources, the plan was dropped as otherwise it would convey a wrong message to people.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / Madikeri (Kodagu Dist) / DHNS – September 10th, 2015
MCCCS Convenor Mookonda Bose Devaiah is seen addressing the Society’s General Body meeting at CITB choultry in Hebbal this morning as Society’s Liquidator C. Girish looks on. Picture right shows a section of members who attended the meeting. Mysuru :
The General Body Meeting of Mysore Coffee Curing Co-operative Society (MCCCS), KRS Road, was held at CITB Choultry in Hebbal here this morning after a gap of 17 years.
The meeting began in the presence of Liquidator C. Girish, with 223 members of the MCCCS attending the General Body, much more than the 115 members required for the quorum.
As soon as the meeting began, the members alleged that the six Liquidators appointed by the Government since 1999, following the ceasing of functioning of the Society in 1998, worked for the downfall of the Society rather than working for reviving it by taking appropriate measures.
The members unanimously demanded the government to recall the Liquidator and restore the composition of the Society which was in place between 1953 and 1998 when it functioned.
Liquidator Girish, who is currently in charge, recorded the proceedings of the General Body and said that the same will be sent to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies for due consideration. It is upto the Government to take further decision on the revival of the Society, he added.
The MCCCS Members Welfare Committee Convenor Mookonda Bose Devaiah, Co-convenors Kolathanda Subramani, K.B. Hemachandra, Alamengada Bose Mandanna, s.p. prasanna, Mathanda c. poovaiah, Kolera Jaya Chengappa, Mahesh, Thirumallesh, Nandu Subbaiah, Arun Machaiah and others were present.
A total of 223 members of the Society from Hassan, Kodagu, Chikkamagalur and Mysuru districts attended the meeting.
Society’s history: Coffee growers of Kodagu, Hassan, Mysuru and Chikkamagalur districts got together in 1953 to establish the MCCCS by procuring 10 acres and 23 guntas of land along KRS road in Mysuru.
The Society, with 1,159 members, functioned normally for many years and had also constructed several godowns. However, when the sale of coffee was freed from restriction and free market was allowed, the Society began to incur loss and gradually ceased functioning in 1998, following which the State Government appointed a Liquidator.
Later on, subsequent Liquidators auctioned 5 acre, 23 guntas of land, besides bringing down the 9 godowns built in the premises, in order to clear the Society’s debts and for various other reasons.
Despite having cleared the Society’s debts and meeting other obligations, the Liquidators tried to dispose off the remaining 5 acres of landed property belonging to the Society, through a public auction, when the members moved the High Court seeking a stay.
The High Court, which heard the Society’s plea, granted a stay on July 9, 2015 against the auction of the remaining landed property which is estimated at more than Rs. 20 crore.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / September 01st, 2015
They have worked in the tea gardens of Assam but in Madikeri they are tending the Coffee plants. Labourers from Assam working in coffee plantations in Kodagu have become a common sight since the past two years.
It is in south Kodagu that more number of Assamese labourers find work in houses and estates.
A few days ago, nearly 200 people arrived from Assam and were divided in teams to meet the demands of the local agents.
According to the labour department officials, there are seven labour camps in and around Kodagu where these people stay.
A few big planters will host some of the Assamese labourers in their own camps in the estates.
In Kodagu, over the years, shortage of labourers have been very severe and existing workers have been demanding more salary and benefits. In 2011, the acute shortage of labour and the high demands of local labourers had put the planters in a spot.
Earlier, the planters were getting labourers from Sullia in Dakshina Kannada and Arasikere in Hassan district, but the Assamese labour comes much cheaper than the usual lot, the officials added.
A labour contractor from Dakshina Kannada, Rajappa Gowda, who takes labourers from Sullia and Puttur every week, says Kodagu has a heavy demand for labourers.
Many escape the labour work in the estates and get into more cozier jobs as servants at home-stays.
But the migrants tend to stay for longer as they get all the benefits, from schooling for their children and higher social security.
Former vice-chairman of Coffee Board of India, Bose Mandanna, told Express that though Assamese workers do not know the scientific work of coffee cultivation, those who settle here learn how to spray, borer tracing and other works. Since all migrants show records like BPL cards, voter IDs and other records, it is the responsibility of the officials to trace fake cards, he says.
However, according to Codava National Council president N U Nachappa, these workers are all Bangaldeshis possessing fake documents. He recalled the protests held early this year urging officials to verify the labourers’ antecedents.
A coffee planter from Gonikoppa told Express, “Since we are getting Assamese labour, demand for more salary from workers who come from far away places cease.”
Another planter from Suntikoppa in Somwarpet taluk said many estates would run into trouble if the Assamese labour did not flow into Kodagu.
The police department have asked all coffee growers to check the documents and collect photos of workers and their family members and submit copies to them without fail.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / August 24th, 2015
Tourism Department Assistant Director V Phanish has said that there is a need for better facilities at tourist spots all over the district.
“About 30 lakh tourists visit Kodagu district every year and business transactions of Rs 700 crore take place in the district due to tourism related activities. With the completion of work on the Kannur international airport, the inflow of tourists to the district is only expected to increase,” he said.
The official was speaking after inaugurating the Kodagu District Tourist Vehicle Owners’ and Drivers’ Association.
Listing out the tourism-related work carried out in Kodagu, Phanish said, “In the last two years, works worth Rs 12.29 crore have been taken up in the district to support tourism. A proposal of Rs 5.19 crore has been submitted to develop the road leading to Mallalli waterfalls in Somwarpet. The work on the concrete road worth Rs 3.19 crore has also been taken up. A sum of Rs 40 lakh has been released to provide basic facilities at Mallalli waterfalls. In addition, Rs 60 lakh has been released to develop the road leading to Makkala Gudi Betta at Kiragandoor, while Rs 1.53 crore has been released to develop Kodava Heritage to introduce culture and tradition of the Kodagu people.”
Development work on the road and footpath on the Abbey Falls stretch will be taken up at a cost of Rs 20. Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector B S Rajashekar said that an insurance scheme for drivers of private commercial vehicles has been launched by the government.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Madikeri, August 23rd, 2015
The week-long international trade fair organised in the heart of the city at Beniabagh is all about ‘Make in India’ offering a variety of products ranging from handloom to handicrafts and others from different state pavilions. But the main attraction of the event was the exclusive stall put up by the Coffee Board of Government of India offering the taste of palatable Indian coffee varieties.
Intrigued buyers were seen congregating at the coffee stall, seeking details of preparation of filtered south Indian coffee from the staff and also savouring a cuppa of ‘filtered’ coffee. Some were even seen grabbing free samples available at the stall.
“Several local buyers thronged the trade fair and ensured to give us a visit and inquire about the specialty of coffee, its distinct method of preparation and how it sets itself apart from the packaged coffee of various brands,” assistant secretary of Indian Coffee House, South Black, Coffee Board of India, HM Nagraj told TOI on Saturday. “We are aware that Indian coffee is not as much popular in Northern India, hence our main purpose is to promote the Indian filtered coffee among North Indians,” he added.
Explaining about the kinds of coffee and the method of preparation, Nagraj said, “There are two kinds of coffee beans, arabica and robusta, grown in hills of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The coffee beans processed after curing works are available in various grades and the method of preparation is simple and one-of-its-kind.” The coffee is brewed in two cylindrical cups of a metal device, one of which that rests at the vertex is loaded with freshly ground coffee with small outlets at the bottom to filter the brewed coffee. Boiling water is then added to grounded coffee and after compression, the decoction is mixed with sugar and boiling milk, he explained.
At this stall the Indian coffee packets are available in 100g, 200g and 500g and are priced at Rs 400 per kg. “Our stall has become more of an eye-catcher at the fair and we are getting suggestions from the buyers and visitors to open an outlet here in the city,” said Nagraj.
Suyash Bajpayee, a visitor at the stall said, “The coffee tantalized my taste buds and I am glad to have visited the stall where I got to learn so much about the varieties of Indian coffee beans.” Another visitor Abhishek Mishra said, “This coffee is a perfect example of the ‘Taste in India’, ‘Made in India’.” A local resident, Brihaspati Bhattacharya, was pleased by the hospitality at the stall and thanked the staff for giving detailed information about coffee.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / by Punkhuri Kapoor, TNN / August 23rd, 2015
Kodagu Zilla Panchayat is all set to begin “Namma Yojane, Namma Chinthane” (Our projects, our thoughts) programme on All India Radio (Akashvani) to create awareness among people about the development schemes of the government as well as to get feedback from them.
Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer M Koorma Rao said that it has been thought to get public feedback about Swacch Bharath campaign, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), housing projects, Rajiv Gandhi Chaitanya Yojana, collection of revenue in Gram Panchayats and few other issues.
Public opinion would be collected through Akashvani on Swacch Bharath campaign on August 26, about MGNREGA on August 27, housing projects (August 28), self-employment and Rajiv Gandhi Chaitanya Yojana (Aug 31), revenue collection in GPs (September 1) and on Panchayat Raj Act and Gram Sabha on September 2, she added.
Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Vishwanath Poojary, Chief Project Officer Takat Rao, Chief Project Officer Takat Rao and Project Director Narendra Hittalamakki were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Madikeri, August 23rd, 2015
Will improve basic infrastructure to attract tourists in large numbers
Belur and Halebid, two major tourism destinations in Hassan district, are expected to get a facelift following the Tourism Department’s initiative to involve non-governmental organisations in driving tourists to the State.
Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd. (CDEL) has shown interest to adopt the two tourism destinations, known for the Hoysala period temples, to improve basic infrastructure so as to attract tourists in big numbers.
The department launched the Adopt Tourist Destination programme in 2014. M.R. Prakash, Assistant Director of the department, told The Hindu on Tuesday that CDEL had shown interest to adopt Belur and Halebid.
“The company’s proposal is being examined by the department. The objective is to provide basic amenities such as drinking water, washrooms and toilets, and improve connectivity to the destinations,” said the officer.
When The Hindu contacted Devahuti, in-charge of media relations in CDEL, she said the company had shown interest to adopt the two places.
Details of the mode of developing these destinations will be made public later, she said.
“The CDEL has entered into an understanding with the Archaeological Survey of India and the Department of Tourism for infrastructure development in Belur and Halebid. The company is hoping to help in development work by building drinking water facilities, washrooms and toilets for tourists along with soft skill training programmes for tourist guides,” a note issued by the company said.
Belur and Halebid are widely known for the Hoysala sculptures. The Channakeshava temple in Belur (left) and the Hoysaleshwara temple in Halebidare famous tourist destinations.— File Photos: Prakash Hassan
However, the places lack basic amenities for tourists. The State government is making efforts to develop the place around Channakeshava Temple in Belur by acquiring private properties.
Similarly, in Halebid, tourists encounter problems of finding decent hotels.
“We can develop these centres with the help of private companies. Then, the number of those visiting these destinations will also increase,” Mr. Prakash added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Staff Correspondent / Hassan – August 26th, 2015
The General Body Meeting of Mysore Coffee Curing Co-operative Society (MCCCS) will be held in Mysuru on Sept.1.
Announcing this at a press meet at Virajpet Press Club on Thursday, the Society’s former President Karnanda Raghu Somaiah called upon all members of the Society to attend the meeting.
Pointing out that the general body meeting of MCCCS, which is one of the most prestigious Co-operative Societies in Mysuru region, has not been called for years, Somaiah said that he had brought a stay from the High Court on July 9, 2015 on the moves to publicly auction the Society’s landed property estimated at about Rs. 200 crore. Earlier, the Court of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies at Bengaluru had dismissed a petition in respect of the appointment of Liquidator and not convening the general body meeting, he said.
Continuing he said that the Liquidator has asked all the members to attend the Sept.1 meeting at Mysuru while setting some conditions. The Liquidator has also asked the members to produce the original copy of share certificates held by them, he said.
Stating that a few members of the Society have died between 1998 and 2014, he demanded the Liquidator to allow all those having ID cards to attend the meeting and to ensure that the meeting is conducted as per the procedures.
Stressing on the need for an united and organised fight for the revival of the society, Somaiah said that the list of Kodagu members of the MCCCS was available at Virajpet Town Bank. The members from Kodagu can visit the Bank during working hours and check the list for their names, he added.
Coffee planter and MCCCS office-bearer Kolathanda W. Bopaiah, in his address, sought co-operation of all the members for the survival of the Society.
Kodagu Central Co-operative Bank former President Mathanda A. Ramesh, K.W. Ganapathy, K.M. Charmana, C.K. Ganapathy, K.P. Nagaraj and others were present at the press meet.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> General News / August 23rd, 2015
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