Category Archives: Business & Economy

Arabica parchment coffee hits record price of Rs 10k per bag

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Nature, Records, All, World Opinion
Coffee beans spread for drying. DH Photo
Coffee beans spread for drying. DH Photo

Coffee growers are happy as the market rate of Arabica parchment has reached a record rate of Rs 10,000 for a bag of 50kg. The rate has been the highest in the last eight years.

As on Wednesday, a 50kg bag of Arabica Parchment coffee was sold between Rs 10,400 to Rs 10,500, which according to the vendors, is the highest rate for Arabica parchment.

The cost of Robusta Parchment has increased to Rs 7,000 per bag. The last time when Arabica coffee reached the highest rate was in 2014. It was Rs 9,600 to Rs 9,800 per bag then. Later, the price moved downward and had touched Rs 6,000.

Arabica cherry costs Rs 4,000 per bag while the rate of Robusta cherry is Rs 3,200 to Rs 3,400 per bag.

Growers in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan have expressed their happiness on the improved market rate of coffee, despite problems of shortage of labourers and feasibility issue in the maintenance of the plantation.

The vendors said that the rates of Arabica parchment might increase further. Expecting the same, the growers who have stored coffee in ABC and other curing centres have decided to sell coffee after it hits an all-time high.

The increase in the rate of coffee was due to a significant decrease in production in Brazil and Columbia. There was a plunge in the production of coffee in Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Hassan districts as well, owing to floods. This has created an increase in demand.

Even though the market rates have increased, the quantity of coffee production is significantly less compared to previous years. The growers who grew 50 bags of coffee in the past have ended up producing only 10 bags of coffee.

“The coffee plants have been damaged due to the water-logging of the plantation. It might take another four years to restore the coffee plantations to its original condition,” said coffee grower Nanaiah.

Coffee vendor Abdul said that around 60% of coffee growers have sold their coffee. Those who had stored coffee have reaped benefits.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / Madikeri – March 04th, 2020

Bean-to-cup coffee making in a Coorg plantation

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

Visitors are encouraged to make their own blends, including weighing, mixing, roasting and grinding.

The plantations offer homestays and resort, perched on stilts. (Photo: The Tamara Coorg)
The plantations offer homestays and resort, perched on stilts. (Photo: The Tamara Coorg)

The lashing rain from the night before had simmered to a soft drizzle this morning. The clouds had parted, and the sundeck of our wooden cottage, perched high on stilts, afforded a resplendent view of coffee country Coorg. The freshly bathed dimpled-green Western Ghat hills rolled away as far as the eyes could see. Acres and acres of coffee and spice plantations dotted the landscape, intermingling with lush forests. The gushing sound of a waterfall drifted in from close by, blending with the rustling of leaves. Below us, as our resort’s plantation was waking up, we set out to witness first-hand the journey of coffee — from bean to cup.

With tall silver oak, teak, rosewood and other trees lending shade to coffee shrubs in the plantations, Coorg offers a gorgeous setting to observe the process of coffee production. Karnataka alone accounts for 70 per cent of the coffee produced in India, with the south-western districts of Coorg (locally Kodagu) and Chikmagalur producing the lion’s share. India, by some accounts, produces the finest shade-grown coffee.

Many of the plantations have homestays and resorts for anyone wanting to sample the plantation life. The deep dive into the coffee culture at our resort, sprawled over a 180-acre estate, begins right at check-in. You’re welcomed with steaming tumblers of delicious bellada coffee (Karnataka-style filter coffee with jaggery). The cottage-style wooden villas, in traditional Kodagu architectural style — sloping roofs, perched high on stilts — are placed at respectful distances from each other, for immersion into a planter’s private yet lavish lifestyle.

Umbrellas in hand, we follow our guide, through thick foliage and unending rows of coffee shrubs. Sharing interesting nuggets about the native flora that grows with wild abandonment, he points out the two main coffee varieties of Coorg — the hardy, disease-resistant Robusta and the better-quality, tastier, smoother and more expensive Arabica. A number of spices are often intercropped with coffee, such as peppercorn, cardamom, clove and nutmeg that help the coffee acquire lovely aromatics while adding a few prized cash crops in the planter’s kitty.

Each year, the life cycle begins with pearly white blossoms in February-March. Natural showers and sprinkler irrigation are crucial for their yield, which determine the amount of coffee harvested the following year. The blossoms turn into green berries and, then, a deep red when ripe, which are handpicked from November to February.

The walk is followed by a coffee-processing experiential programme at the little museum in the resort grounds. The ripe berries are dried and pulped to obtain the seed — aka coffee bean! The beans are sorted, blended and roasted in a traditional roaster. Encouraged to make our own blends, we weighed and mixed different percentages of the varieties according to our taste, put them in the roaster and hand-ground the divinely aromatic roasted beans into a fine powder — to be had as a hot brew right there, or carry back as a souvenir.

Back home, whenever I’d sip on my blend, I’d reminisce about the time I crafted it, and the scrumptious Coorgi lunch that followed, that rainy, misty afternoon.

Satarupa Paul is based in Delhi and writes on food and travel.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Eye / by Satarupa Paul / February 29th, 2020

Status report sought on buildings

Business & Economy, Records, All

A report has been sought on the condition of buildings housing schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in Kodagu with only three months left for the onset of monsoon.

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy issued this direction to the authorities at a meeting convened by her in Madikeri on Wednesday to discuss the preparations to be made to counter the monsoon. Kodagu had witnessed its worst floods and landslides in 2018 and 2019.

She said North Kodagu and South Kodagu saw more devastation in 2018 and in 2019 respectively. “We focussed on North Kodagu following the damage in 2018 but the calamity struck most parts of South Kodagu last year. Therefore, we need to focus on all areas this year. In this connection, district-level officers would be deployed at the hobli level to attend to the works.”

The officers at the taluk level including the PDOs would be trained on handling the rescue situations. Funds under NDRF would be released in advance to the ZP CEO, tahsildars and the GPs for attending to the rain havoc.

District Fire Officer P. Chandan sought four more boats for attending to the rescue operations in case of floods.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – February 27th, 2020

Red Cross Bhavan to come up at a cost of Rs 1.3 cr in Madikeri

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

RedCrossMPOs

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, who is also the chairperson of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) district committee, performed the ground-breaking for Red Cross Bhavan at Stewart Hill in the town on Thursday.

Speaking during the formal programme, IRCS State Committee Chairman Naganna said that the IRCS had always assisted in the relief measures, including the floods in Kodagu.

“The Red Cross Bhavan will provide timely assistance to the people affected by calamities”.

Naganna said that a grant of Rs 50 lakh was reserved by the IRCS district committee and Rs 25 lakh by the state committee for the Red Cross Bhavan.

Naganna said that a grant of Rs 50 lakh was reserved by the IRCS district committee and Rs 25 lakh by the state committee for the Red Cross Bhavan.

He said another Rs 10 lakh will be provided in the next phase by the IRCS state committee. Making use of the funds provided by elected representatives, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a warehouse and an office will be constructed, he added.

IRCS Kodagu head B K Ravindra Rai stated that the Red Cross Bhavan was planned to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.30 crore on 12.50 cents of land, and the work would be carried out by Nirmithi Kendra.

IRCS Kodagu General Secretary H R Muralidhar said that the branch of the IRCS was commissioned in Kodagu in 1952, with the efforts of the then Chief Minister of Coorg state, C M Poonacha.

Former IRCS State general Secretary Ashok Kumar Shetty, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Principal Dr Vishal, Nirmithi Kendra Officer Sachin, CMC Commissioner M L Ramesh and IRCS district Vice President H T Anil were present.

source: http://www/deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / Muhammad / by DHNS, Madiker / February 27th, 2020

Calamity-hit Kodagu pins high hopes on state budget

Business & Economy, Leaders
A house that was damaged in the flood in 2019 in Kodagu district.
A house that was damaged in the flood in 2019 in Kodagu district.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will present State Budget on March 5 and the people in Kodagu are expecting a bonanza for the district.

During the coalition government in the state, the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced a few proposals to the coffee land and thereby had tried to win the hearts of the people.

The two BJP MLAs from the district have already submitted a list of basic facilities that require grant in the budget. The district requires a special package to rebuild the lives of natural calamity victims.

The district was hit by natural calamity in 2018 and also in 2019. Only 33 victims of heavy rain in 2018 have received houses. The rain victims of last year, who are still waiting for sites, are in the doldrums. The natural calamity victims are are expecting a few projects for their welfare in the budget.

In the pre-budget consultation meeting, coffee growers had impressed upon the chief minister on the need to solve their problems. They have demanded free electricity for pumpsets up to 10hp, complete waiver of loans borrowed by coffee growers, compensation for damage to coffee plantations hit by landslides and so on. The growers are expecting the fulfillment of at least a few demands in the budget.

Further, 35,000 labourers, who are working in coffee plantations, are shelterless in the district. The shelterless at Balagodu are already staging a protest demanding a roof over their head. The labourers are expecting announcement on providing either house or site in the budget.

The natural calamity that hit the district has also badly affected tourism in the region. The budget is expected to announce new projects to give a fillip to the tourism. There are possibilities of announcing Cauvery rejuvenation programme and river bank protection projects in the budget.

“New taluks of Kushalnagar and Ponnampet have not received any benefits. We have appealed to the government to announce grants for development works in the newly carved taluks,” activists of taluk associations said.

In 2018-19 budget, Siddaramaiah had announced promotion of cultivation of exotic fruits like Passion fruit, Rambutan, Durian, Dragon, Licchi, Butterfruit, Strawberry, Custard Apple and others, which has not been materialised so far.

Seeking additional grants, MLA K G Bopaiah has written a letter to the chief minister. The MLA has sought Rs 100-crore special package for the development of roads in the district.

Bopaiah has also sought Rs 1 cr for construction of outdoor stadium at Gonikoppa, Rs 1 cr for sports meets, Rs 25 crore for laying fences made out of train tracks, Rs 15 crore for the construction of Bhavans (community halls) of Kodava, Arebhashe, Okkaliga Billava, Bunts and other communities and free electricity for growers using pumpsets up to 10hp.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DHNS, Madikeri / February 25th, 2020

The Tamara Coorg: A bounty of history and nature

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

The Tamara Coorg in Karnataka is a byword for sustainability, which boasts a magical landscape that melds an ancient forest with tales of a martial race.

The Tamara Coorg is ringed by nature in all its bounty
The Tamara Coorg is ringed by nature in all its bounty

As the veil of mist lifts over the Western Ghats of Karnataka, a panorama unfolds. Rows on rows of coffee bushes, their leaves a lush velvet green, the ruby-red orbs produced here yield the heady Arabica brew.

The Tamara Coorg is ringed by a capillary of streams, creepers of perfumed spices, pepper vines and tropical fruit trees.

Blending into this forested landscape are the unique cottage-style villas built on stilts propped up on the plantation’s terraced rows.

A byword for sustainability, the cottages are forest and land continuum. Crafted out of roughly finished logs of wood, they are an extension of the wilderness.

Calm, meditative and a bit rough around the edges, the private sundecks with a 180-degree view of the valley allow you to seamlessly connect with nature and its rhythms even as the cloud-cloaked hills form grey specks in the horizon.

TamraCoorg02KF25feb2020

It’s a magical landscape, one that melds an ancient forest with the history of a martial race, the Kodavas.

Inside The Tamara, expect a visceral avian experience of the Western Ghats, featuring the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Scarlet Minivet, the Grey Wagtail and their other feathered friends.

This lush haven of fauna can be punctuated with tranquil coffee drinking sessions, where the perfect cuppa is miles away from jostling cafes and their prohibitively expensive caffeine fixes.

Instead, Blossom to Brew is a customised coffee brewing session organised by the resort, where enthusiasts can sort their favourite coffee beans, make the desired blend, roast it to specifications and grind them manually.

Coorg is, however, not all plantation terrain with a soundtrack of crickets and rainfall. History buffs will get their fix at the Nalknad Palace, which was built between 1792 and 1794 AD, and is hemmed in by the tiny hamlet of Yavakapadi.

The history of Nalknad is, at its heart, a narrative of political intrigue between diverse Indian states and empires in colonial India. The palace itself was the final shelter of the last of the Haleri kings of Kodagu, Chikka Veerarajendra, who was exiled to Varanasi by the British.

The two-storeyed palace, built by the exiled king’s ancestor Dodda Veerarajendra, is a fantasy of highly decorated wooden pillars, windows and doorjambs.

Steps to the main door of the palace come appointed with elephant balustrades, while the Durbar Hall offers a royal welcome by way of 18th and 19th-century paintings.

Coorg effortlessly manages to bundle the twin experiences of history and nature. With the caressing sound of raindrops on coffee bushes, the past lurks in the nooks and corners of this lush landscape.

The Madikeri Fort, right in the heart of its namesake town, is such a portal to history. Some of its elevated structures help you see the city skyline in new and interesting ways.

Built in the later part of the 17th century by Muddu Raja, the then king of Coorg, the fort, though crumbling and overrun with creepers now, boasts of a unique character.

Once believed to be made of mud during the reign of the Kodagu Rajas, it was later re-constructed using granite masonry and laterite blocks after being captured by Tipu Sultan.

Today, the fort premises are home to the Madikeri Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Below the fort ramparts Madikeri hums along, with its chaotic traffic, independent businesses and throngs of spice and chocolate shops.

Even everyday Coorg is a balm to the restless soul.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Susmita Saha / February 16th, 2020

Road Projects On Track: MP

Business & Economy, Records, All

KushalnagarKF25feb2020

– Land acquisition for Mysuru-Kushalnagar Economic Corridor from next month
– Mysuru-Bengaluru 10-lane Highway will be completed in 24 months from now

Mysore/Mysuru:

Land acquisition for the Mysuru-Kushalnagar Economic Corridor Expressway Project from Paschimavahini in Mysuru till Kushalnagar in Kodagu along the existing Mysuru-Madikeri National Highway (NH)-275 will begin next month, said Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha.

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in city this morning, the MP said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had approved the project long back and after necessary ground work, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared the land alignment and land required for the project.

The road has a design length of 93 kilometres and bypasses have been proposed having an aggregate length of 84 kilometres at Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, and combined bypass for Hunsur, Bilikere and Mysuru. It is a four-lane corridor that directly connects Bengaluru with Madikeri, bypassing Mysuru. The 115 km-long Expressway costing Rs. 6,000 crore is a centrally-funded project and is executed by NHAI.

The Expressway will connect Madikeri with Bengaluru bypassing Suntikoppa, Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, Hunsur and even Mysuru city by touching the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway (which is getting converted into a 10-lane Highway) at Paschimavahini near Srirangapatna. The Expressway will have a road median and the alignment for the new corridor has been done. The Expressway will reduce the journey time between Madikeri and Bengaluru to five hours from existing seven hours.

The MP said that the existing four-lane road between Mysuru and Madikeri (NH-275) has reached a saturation point and there is an urgent need to build a separate road. Travelling on the existing Highway is a nightmarish experience especially during weekends and holidays when thousands of vehicles move between Mysuru and Madikeri, a hill station, he added.

“It will be a 14-metre wide road. Rs.6,000 crore has been set aside for land acquisition only and the project will use 25 percent of the existing roads, 40 percent Government land and the remaining 45 percent land will be purchased from private parties. A dedicated office for land acquisition ‘Special Land Acquisition Officer and Competent Authority (Mysuru-Madikeri Section) NH-275’ has been set up at No.984, First Floor, Geetha Road, Chamarajapuram, in city,” he added.

10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway

On the 118-km Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway that is being upgraded to a 10-lane highway including four service roads on either sides of the six-lane main carriageway, Pratap Simha said that from Bengaluru-side, 35 percent of the road works have been completed and from Mysuru-side, seven percent of the works have been completed,.

NHAI has taken up the core works at an estimated cost of Rs. 7,400 crore and once the project is realised, commuters between Bengaluru and Mysuru can travel the distance in just about 90 minutes from the present 3 hours, he added.

“The NHAI has awarded the project to Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon and the project is fully funded by the Centre including the distribution of compensation for the land acquired. The Company has taken up the highway works in two packages.

Work in packages

The first package covers the development of 56.1 kms highway stretch from Bengaluru to Nidaghatta in Maddur taluk at the cost of Rs. 3,000 crore including 900 acres of land acquisition. The second package of works includes the development of 61.2 km highway from Nidaghatta to Mysuru at the cost of Rs.3,500 crore, he added.

The project is being taken up under new Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) adopted by NHAI. As per this, NHAI will fund just 40 per cent of the total project cost while the remaining 60 per cent will be invested by the contractor or developer. The contractor/investor will get fixed annual revenue while the Highway Authority takes care of the toll collection.

The Company has taken up both the package works after setting base camps at every 20 kilometres. Six bypass roads will be constructed at Srirangapatna, Mandya, Maddur, Channapattana, Ramanagara and Bidadi. An estimated 36,000 vehicles ply between the two cities everyday and traffic density has increased, Simha added and expressed confidence that the project will be completed in 24 months from now. The NHAI has a deadline of 30 months.

City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, District BJP President S.D. Mahendra and NHAI Superintending Engineer Sridhar were present at the press conference.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 20th, 2020

21 crore boost for Kodagu tourism post calamity

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy
A kalyani and a stall (right) at a site in Madikeri where the Tourism Department is developing a facility that depicts a typical village.
A kalyani and a stall (right) at a site in Madikeri where the Tourism Department is developing a facility that depicts a typical village.

In an effort to boost tourism post floods and landslips in Kodagu, the government has sanctioned a sum of ₹21 crore for various tourism development works across the region, which is limping back to normalcy.

Many tourist sites and roads connecting them had been damaged. The department had proposed new attractions and rebuilding activities.

“Some works are in various stages and proposals for a few are awaiting approval. Kodagu got an allocation of ₹21 crore for the works,” said Tourism Assistant Director Raghavendra.

A project had been launched along the concept of developing a typical Kodagu village near Raja Seat in Madikeri that signifies thelocal culture and traditions besides making available the crafts, spices and other commodities popular from here. This village will have about 10 rooms for tourists’ stay. This project had been taken up at a cost of ₹98.5 lakh.

Development works near Sri Omkareshwar temple, development of parking at Dubare elephant camp and development of a road connecting Nalaknad Palace at Kakkabe near Napoklu are among the projects approved, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – February 17th, 2020

This Coorg resort is charging guests for wasting food

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

The Ibnii Spa and Resort in Coorg, Karnataka, weigh the food wasted by customers and makes them pay for it at the time of checkout.

The guests have to pay Rs 100 for every 10 gram of food wasted by them. | Image: Unsplash | Photo Credit: Representative Image
The guests have to pay Rs 100 for every 10 gram of food wasted by them. | Image: Unsplash | Photo Credit: Representative Image

Bengaluru:

Food waste is definitely not a good taste. A luxury resort in Karnataka came up with an ingenious way to decrease the wastage of food by its guests. The Ibnii Spa Resort started charging its customers for wasting food.

The resort which is located in the hills of Coorg, Karnataka, has come down from 14 waste bins to just one since the initiative was implemented.

The composting unit of the resort used to be overworked with 14 huge garbage bins of leftover food daily. The resort decided to decrease the quantity of waste by informing guests that they could place their orders any number of times.

However, when the wastage of food did not stop, the resort came up with the unique idea of making the guests pay for the food they ordered but did not eat.

How much do the guests pay for wasting food?
The idea was simple. At the end of every meal, all the leftover food is weighed on a weighing machine in front of the guests. At the time of checkout, the guests are told how much food they wasted during their stay. They have to pay Rs 100 for every 10 gram of food wasted by them. The amount is to be dropped in a donation box which goes to a not-for-profit organisation that feeds children at an orphanage in Madikeri.

How have the guests reacted to the initiative?
The initiative which was started six months ago has made a huge impact on the conscience of the guests. “We have seen a drastic decrease in the quantity of food waste. From fourteen waste bins every day, we now only need one,” Shreya Krishnan, CSR adviser at The Ibnii, told Deccan Chronicle. The guests have appreciated the resort’s efforts to reduce food wastage.

How much food do we waste?
One-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year gets lost or wasted, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations.

Not only is wasting food doing wrong to the farmers who grow the crop and to the chefs who cook the dishes but it is also unfair to those people who can’t afford two meals in a day and impacts the environment too.

source: http://www.timesnownews.com / TimesNowNews.com / Home> News> Buzz / by Saumya Agrawal / February 21st, 2020

Visitors throng Raja Seat for flower fest on weekend

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
People dancing to the tune of the traditional ‘Kodava Valaga’, during the fruit and flower show at Raja Seat. DH Photo
People dancing to the tune of the traditional ‘Kodava Valaga’, during the fruit and flower show at Raja Seat. DH Photo

Hundreds of visitors thronged the Raja Seat in Madikeri on Saturday and Sunday, for the fruit and flower show.

The four-day-long fruit and flower show organised by the district administration and the department of horticulture, began on Friday.

On Sunday, the localities and tourists who gathered in the venue, danced to the tunes of traditional ‘Kodava Valaga’ during the cultural programmes organised by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy. ‘Arebhashe Kolata’ and ‘Sobhane Pada’ enthralled the audience.

Selfie zones set up at various parts of Raja Seat, were the centre of attraction among youth during the flower fest. Photo frames were designed with flowers for the purpose.

Open street

The police department restricted the movement of vehicles from M M Circle till Kundurumotte junction, from 6 pm to 10 pm on the evenings of the fruit and flower show. Raja Seat was made completely free from vehicular movements and the stalls featuring various snacks were opened on the road, reminding the ‘Open Street Festival’ organised during the Pravasi Utsav held in Kodagu last year. Traditional Kodava snacks were also sold in the stalls.

Students were provided with a chance to watch the fruit and flower show free of cost. A lot of students witnessed the show on Saturday and Sunday. Most of them were accompanied by their teachers.

The people also visited the stalls set by the departments of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and various other departments.

‘Mamateya Marukatte’

Various items such as children’s toys, unused clothes, stationery items, and electronic items in the working condition, were featured at ‘Mamateya Marukatte’ stall set up by Green City Forum and Madikeri City Municipal Council. The items were collected at Kaveri Kalakshetra.

The amount collected from the sale of these items were provided to the civic workers and stree shakti groups. Most of the items have been sold, said Satya, a member of Green City Forum.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / February 10th, 2020