The Kodagu coffee growers have been demanding free electricity supply to up to 10 HP pump sets installed in coffee estates across the district.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai (Photo | Special arrangement)
Madikeri :
The state government has announced a subsidized power supply to up to 10 HP pump sets installed in coffee estates in Kodagu. The decision was announced by chief minister Basavaraj Bommai during the Zero Hour of the state Legislative Assembly. The request for the same was raised by Kodagu MLA Appachu Ranjan.
The Kodagu coffee growers have been demanding free electricity supply to up to 10 HP pump sets installed in coffee estates across the district. While assurances had been extended by the state, the same had not been sanctioned. On Tuesday, MLA Appachu Ranjan raised the issue during the Zero Hour of the legislative session and he was supported by MLA KG Bopaiah, MLA CT Ravi and MLA Kumarswamy.
The legislators argued that the district supplied Cauvery water to the state, but it has been neglected. They argued that while tobacco and areca nut estates are eligible for power subsidy, coffee has been neglected and ignored.
Following these discussions, CM Basavaraj Bomai said, “Power subsidies extended by the state are increasing every year and it adds up to Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000 crore. However, we understand the problems of the coffee growers, and following the discussion with the power minister and other ministers, the state will grant a subsidy to the power supply to up to 10 HP pump sets installed in coffee estates. However, terms and conditions will be released to control misuse of the same.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / March 22nd, 2022
The board that greeted us at the end of our 200km-odd journey from the heart of Bengaluru said School Estate. But that wasn’t our final destination, is what we realised soon. That would be School Thota, a division of School Estate, and a few hundred metres into the estate, we saw a smaller board directing us to it.
Thota roughly translates to garden in the local Kannada language. Of course, like many other places around India, there is a local language (not dialect) just for Coorg too. There are many further distinctions and groups within locals here, such as Kodavas, to which the family that owns School Thota belongs. Surely, there are many equally beautiful plantations and homestays in Coorg. But what caught our fancy on this particular drive of Volkswagen’s impressive new Taigun is the story of a German reverend who is associated with the early history of this place, including the reason why it ended up being called School Estate.
Georg Richter was the principal of a local Mercara High School. He was instrumental in mobilising local leaders in the field of education. Under his guidance, they came together and collected money to purchase around 350 acres of land for Rs 3000 back – a princely sum back in the 1860s. The aim was to fund the school with yield from the coffee and other plantations, hence the name School Estate. Since Richter was in charge, the house on the property also was built to his liking. While earlier it was only a makeshift place for the occasional visitors, the subsequent owners kept the core structure intact and built a seemingly European-style Indian home first for themselves and now extended to guests interested in soaking in nature and School Thota’s heritage.
Coorg is one of the places that still rely on roads for its connections. The drive from Bengaluru to its centre, Madikeri, is a mix of choc-o-bloc metropolitan roads followed by a busy but reasonably fast Mysore highway that you leave after Srirangapatna for a more picturesque country road interspersed with short stretches of busy towns. It was a mix that helped the versatility of the Taigun shine through. Volkswagen offers this made-for-India SUV in two engine and three gearbox options. While we took what was on paper, the smaller 1.0-litre TSI (114bhp/178Nm) coupled with a six-speed torque converter gearbox revealed the variety of traffic and road conditions. One of the biggest clichés busted was it doesn’t tire under relentless highway driving. A frugal fuel consumption figure meant we could do the entire stretch without a fuel stop en route.
Coorg roads are typically narrow and twisty, and the agile Taigun seemed up for some confident driving. Patches of bad roads were dealt with ease, as the Taigun feels planted on the move, just like its bigger stablemates. The solid German connection is there to see.
Inside School Thota, we had many glimpses of the European connection too. Its current owners – the Aiyappa family, is led by 81-year-old Saraswathi, who runs the show along with her son Kushalappa. Together not only do they manage half of the School Estate (the other half bought by another local family a few generations ago) but also keep the homestay’s heritage intact.
“The doors of this homestay are the original ones,” said Saraswathi Amma. She also pointed out that they were much larger than the entrance door, which was an extension added to the School Thota structure after the Indian family took over. “Typically, Germans are taller, which explains the bigger doors. Moreover, for us, we bend or hunch a bit and enter the house. This is also about showing respect to the house, which is a temple of sorts for us,” she pointed out. Keeping tradition alive is one of the motives of such homestays around Coorg so that you can see many old artefacts and even furniture tastefully retained here. At School Thota, even a European-style fireplace reminds you of the kind of the early occupants of this structure.
Coorg is an extremely ecologically sensitive area, and its locals try hard to maintain the balance between earning from the soil and keeping it sustainable. Plantations are not only home to various kinds of flora and fauna but also the livelihood for many locals. Agriculture in today’s times can be challenging, but families running the show have tried to improvise and keep the fire going in their Indianised versions of the colonial way of life. A few have even managed to hold on to the original way of life, just like a Taigun does by keeping a Volkswagen badge’s core values intact in an SUV that’s completely at home in India. Its Volkswagen genes are unmistakably apparent despite being born and brought up in India.
It took a visit to this place to reiterate and experience this first hand. Lesson learnt by going back to school… auf wiedersehen.
Contributed by Girish Karkera, Consulting Editor – Times Auto · Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd.
Disclaimer: The article has been produced on behalf of Volkswagen by the Times Internet’s Spotlight team.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Spotlight / by Girish Karkera / March 10th, 2022
He hopes govt. will help her continue her medical education in India after return
Akshita Akkamma, a medical student from Kudlur village near Kushalnagar in Kodagu, is safe and about to cross the Ukrainian border to get evacuated from the war-hit country. However, her parents back home in Kodagu are still nervous until she reaches her home.
Her father I.P. Ramesh, an agriculturist, said, “I don’t want to send my daughter back to Ukraine after her return. We had a tough time worried about her safety after the war broke out. Hearing about shelling and explosions in Kharkiv, we had sleepless nights. We were slightly relieved after she rang up to tell us she had reached Livv and boarded a bus to reach the border to fly back to India.”
Akshita is a second-year student at Kharkiv National Medical University. “I don’t want my daughter to go back as her safety is important for us. Therefore, I urge the Government of India to make arrangements for her study in the country in whichever college it is possible as my daughter has put in two years of her study in Ukraine,” Mr. Ramesh suggested.
The coffee grower added, “In an exceptional case, a provision can be made for students wishing to stay in India, to continue medical education. I don’t think this is unachievable.”
Mr. Ramesh said “Fellow student Naveen’s tragic death shocked us and our apprehensions went up further since my daughter was also in Kharkiv which was witnessing heavy bombardment. Ukrainians are said to be getting first priority and then the girl students for boarding trains,” said the girl’s father.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / TheHindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 03rd, 2022
A typical plantation walk in one of Coorg’s large coffee estates, in fact, is nothing short of a treat to all five senses.
New Delhi:
In India’s coffee heartland Coorg, which is at a driving distance from the city of Bengaluru and nestled in the densely forested Western Ghats, February is the season to find abundant coffee trees laden with small crimson and green berries that hold inside them two green beans each. It is in these Karnataka-based coffee plantations, that many of the flavourful and aromatic coffee beans originate, before they are dried, roasted and ground into the perfect cup of coffee in your hands.
Coorg, locally known as Kodagu, can often be found on the bucket lists of seasoned travellers for its tranquil setting, biodiversity, delicious Kodava cuisine and large-scale cultivation of Indian coffee. A forthcoming luxury destination, the southern hill station has unmatched experiences that go beyond tourism-as-usual.
For those interested in experiencing first-hand, the crop-to-cup process of coffee in India, the local hospitality options do offer plantation walks and trails that have you immersed in the native experience.
In an ecologically diverse and sensitive region like Coorg, threats to the forest ecosystem are aplenty, and are prone to multiplication with additional construction to support the consumerist traveller’s lifestyle.
The homestay experience, then, comes as the perfect fit for the region and is growing by the year. Allowing one to lodge up in close proximity to the natural environment and coffee crops within the estates themselves, while observing all Covid-19 precautions, options on Airbnb in Coorg are something new-age travellers must check before heading to the beautiful southern coffee county.
A typical plantation walk in one of Coorg’s large coffee estates, in fact, is nothing short of a treat to all five senses.
As one walks along a narrow network of tracks lined by trees of Robusta and Arabica coffee species, along with cultivations of arecanut, pepper and cardamom, the calls of Coorg’s diverse bird species are unmistakable in the background. According to Ganesh H R, a local bird expert popularly termed the Bird Man of Coorg, over half of India’s overall bird species can be found in the region, along with birds like White-cheeked barbet, Malabar barbet and Malabar grey hornbill that are endemic to the region. The place is also a great spot for serious bird-watching.
Surrounded by a tall canopy and clear blue skies difficult to find in urban jungles, walkers are greeted with the smell of flowering coffee shrub and ripened coffee berries along the way. In some trail experiences, enthusiasts may be invited to participate in coffee berry harvest — picking bunches of red and green berries off the branches onto a wide-based container below.
In experiences bookable on Airbnb, such as the farm-to-cup experience on FiveFarms Coffee, one can step into the shoes of a coffee grower and help with jobs like transplanting young plants from the nursery, checking for fragrant coffee blossoms or picking ripe red berries. The beans are then dried in the sun before processing it mechanically into the final product. Visitors can also experience roasting and take back roasted batches of beans.
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home / by IANS / February 27th, 2022
The Arabica Parchment coffee price has soared to an all-time high of Rs 16,200 per 50-kg bag on Thursday, in Somwarpet and Chikamagalur markets.
Madikeri:
The Arabica Parchment coffee price has soared to an all-time high of Rs 16,200 per 50-kg bag on Thursday, in Somwarpet and Chikamagalur markets. A large-scale destruction caused by snowfall to the similar coffee variety in Brazil, the largest producer of the crop, has come as a blessing in disguise for the growers here.
According to traders, normally, this coffee variety commands a price of Rs 10,500 to 11,500. Similarly, the cost of Robusta Parchment has touched Rs 7,600 per bag. The last time when Arabica coffee reached the highest price was in 2014 when it sold at Rs 9,600-Rs 9,800 per bag. The price saw a downward trend and touched Rs 6,000.
The prices of Arabica Cherry and Robusta Cherry have seen a marginal rise in price. They command a price of Rs 7,500-7,600 and Rs 3,800-Rs 4,100 per bag respectively. Growers in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan are elated over rise in the prices of coffee, despite problems of shortage.
Coffee was bought and exported by the government through the Coffee Board before growers were allowed to sell their produce directly in the open market since 1992, following protests by them.
December to April is the time for coffee harvesting and 90 percent of growers sell the produce before the beginning of the rainy season due to the price fluctuations and lack of warehousing facilities. The total annual coffee production in the country is approximately 3.6 lakh tonnes. Most of the Arabica growers have already sold their produce.
Speaking to The Hans India, a coffee exporter and promoter of AWIT Innovations (P) Ltd in Kushalnagar, Rajiv Kushalappa said that the price fluctuations are likely to increase in the near future due to prevailing international market conditions. According to him, the rise in the price was fallout of crop loss in Brazil following heavy snowfall. Ratan Machaiah, a coffee grower in Gonicoppa, said that the cost of production of coffee has increased significantly in recent years and growers are in a distress.
The wages of labourers, cost of fertilisers, pesticides, etc., have doubled over the past decade, but the price remains the same. The growers are gambling on unpredictable climatic conditions year after year. He has urged the government to support the growers by announcing a special package.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / byCoovercolly Indresh / Hans News Service / February 10th, 2022
The second-seeded Indians erased the first set deficit to win 6-7(10) 6-3 10-6 in one hour and 44 minutes.
Pune: Indian duo Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan pose with the trophy after defeating Australia’s Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith to clinch the title at the Tata Open Maharashtra Tennis Tournament, at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune (source: PTI)
India’s Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan won their second ATP World Tour title together after pipping the top seeded Australian pair of Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith in the final of the Tata Open Maharashtra, on Sunday.
The second-seeded Indians erased the first set deficit to win 6-7(10) 6-3 10-6 in one hour and 44 minutes.
Bopanna and Ramkumar had combined as a team on the ATP Tour for the first time at the Adelaide event last month in the run-up to the Australian Open and won the trophy.
For Bopanna, it was his 21st ATP doubles title while for Ramkumar it is his second trophy at this level and it will push him inside doubles top-100 for the first time in his career.
They split USD 16370 as prize money and earned 250 ranking points each.
Bopanna had won this event with compatriot Divij Sharan in 2019.
Still going strong at an age of 41, Bopanna said it’s his years of playing experience that is helping him out in the circuit.
“A lot is to do with experience, which you really bring in, years and years of experience and the biggest thing is my body is feeling very very good at the moment,” Bopanna said after the match.
“I did a lot of yoga which has helped me tremendously and I am very thankful to my Yoga Teacher (Mohan) in Bangalore which has made such a difference for me and I can try something new at this age.
“It has made a difference and that really shows as long as I am playing matches, competing and doing something that is physically appealing. May be at the practice court I may not be giving my 100% but as long as I am feeling good and go out their and enjoying the pace as currently right now.”
Asked to compare the two titles that they have won together, Bopanna said performing before the home crowd was tough while in Adelaide no one watched them.
“Both are extremely special but anytime you win a title at home it’s lot more pressures. In Adelaide no one was really watching, but here there were lot more expectations and especially coming here with a win people expected an automatic win which wasn’t easy but at that tie break the crowd really helped.
“You just get that extra boost, that extra energy. Even if your legs are feeling tiered that’s the energy you need to hit the serve especially for me. Winning in India is always especial and especially with an Indian partner is truly truly great.
Ramkumar said he now wants to play ATP 500 event in Dubai and for that wil try to do well in the the upcoming two Challengers in Bengaluru.
“Let’s see if there is a chance to get in Dubai and hope I can play that,” said the 27-year-old.
Ramkumar said everyone believed in his game and that gave him confidence in this tournament.
“Coming from Bops (Bopanna) who always believes in me, my coaches and every one who have always believe in me and said you play well and that just keeps me going.
“I just have to work on a few thing on court and just keep competing at this level as much as I can which will improve my game and automatically the ranking,” he said.
Big serves marked the beginning of the contest with only Ramkumar and Luke losing a point each in the first four games.
Bopanna’s volley error on a return from Luke made it 30-all in the fifth game but Ramkumar pulled off an ace and followed that up with another huge serve to hold for a 3-2 lead.
The Indian team had got a chance to break Patrick-Smith’s serve in the next game when Luke made an error while attempting an overhead volley at 40-30 but the opportunity could not be utilised as the Australian pulled of a big serve on the deuce point.
The Australians also created break opportunity on Ramkumar’s serve in the ninth game when they found two service return winners and the Indian serving a doubler fault at 40-30 but the home team managed to hold.
A comfortable hold at love by Patrick-Smith made it 5-5.
Eventually a tie-break was required for deciding the first set. Both the teams had a number of set points as the Indians squandered two chances and the Australians three before converting their fourth.
They got the chance when Bopanna made an unforced error at 10-all and Ramkumar netted a forehand on set point.
In the second set, the Indian duo needed a good start and they got it by breaking Luke’s serve in the third game when the Australian made a volley error on deuce point.
Bopanna saved a break chance on his serve in the next game to keep their nose ahead. Patrick-Smith was serving to stay in the set in the ninth game and was broken to allow the Indian team force a Super Tie Breaker.
At 30-all, an engrossing rally ensued between the two pairs. Luke blinked to give Indian first set point which they converted when Bopanna dispatched a volley winner with ease.
Bopanna and Ramkumar dominated the STB to secure the title.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Tennis / by PTI / February 06th, 2022
The Saudi pavilion at Dubai’s Expo 2020 Dubai on Tuesday launched Saudi Coffee Week, a five-day event to celebrate the country’s coffee culture.
Running until Jan. 29 from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m., the series features daily activities to inspire and educate visitors on the Kingdom’s coffee traditions that form an essential part of its culture.
The event will also host two workshops at Sard Café to help guests learn the art of making Saudi coffee. (Supplied)
This includes showing casing a variety of coffee-making and brewing techniques, as well as tasting experiences.
The event will also host two workshops at Sard Café to help guests learn the art of making Saudi coffee.
The pavilion also features booths from Ethiopia, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Australia at the Open Square to familiarize visitors with traditions of other countries.
source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> Lifestyle / January 26th, 2022
The land will soon be reclaimed in accordance with the state orders and will be handed over to the forest department to be developed as a reserve forest area.
Image for representational purpose only. ( File | EPS)
Kodagu :
The Ponnampet Tahashildar has sent an official reminder letter to the forest department for taking possession of the 1203 acre land developed by Tata Company as a tea estate in Kodagu.
The land will soon be reclaimed in accordance with the state orders and will be handed over to the forest department to be developed as a reserve forest area.
In the letter dated December 20, Tahashildar Yogananda has mentioned the handing over of 1203 acre land across survey numbers in Hysodluru, Poradu, West Nammale, and T Shettigeri villages of Ponnampet taluk to the forest department.
The 1203 acre land was leased to Tata Coffee Limited Company and since the period of lease of 99 years has been completed, the same needs to be handed back to the department as a reserve forest area.
In 1914-1915, Mac Dogal Glenlora Limited leased nearly 1300 acre paisari land from the then British Government for a period of 999 years. This leased land was handed over to Tata Coffee Limited (then known as Consolidated Tea Company).
The timber in the paisari land was cleared to make way for a coffee and tea estate and the land was changed from ‘paisari’ to ‘Reedemed Sagu’.
However, the state argued that the land tenure was changed without the notice of the government and the tenure was a reserve forest area.
Further, while the land was leased by the then British government for 999 years, the same agreement was changed in 1940 by the then Coorg Commissioner to 99 years. Following this, notices are said to have been served to the Tata Company for handing over of the land even as the company approached the Court stating that the change in revenue documents from Redeemed Sagu to Reserve Forest land was done illegally by the government. However, the state argued that the Tata Company had illegally changed the tenure to Redeem Sagu.
The case was heard recently at the Virajpet Court and the Senior Civil Judge, MG Lokesh had disposed of the case on December 3 stating that the plaintiffs have to approach the revenue authorities and this cannot be decided in civil court. It stated that the revenue authorities or the Government can decide regarding this issue. However, the government had sent an order for acquiring the lands in 2012, which was then questioned by the company in the court.
After the court hearing, the Kodagu revenue authorities have followed the earlier government order defending the change of tenure from ‘Reedem Sagu’ to reserve forest and the Ponnampet Tahsildar Yogananda has now passed an order for reacquiring of the 1203 acre reserve forest land from the company.
“We have received the official letter from the tahsildar and steps will be taken to begin the acquiring process,” confirmed Chakrapani, Virajpet DCF.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Pragna GR, Express News Service / December 21st, 2021
Coffee Board, No.1, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru-560 001 has invited applications for admission to the Post Graduate Diploma in Coffee Quality Management (PGDCQM) for the academic year 2021-22, instituted to support the requirements of the Indian coffee industry for trained personnel with the specific knowledge and skills required to function as coffee tasters.
Course content include Coffee cultivation practices, Post-harvest management and practices, Coffee Quality Evaluation, Roasting and brewing techniques, Marketing and Trade, Quality assurance systems (Theory and Practical sessions).
The course duration is 12 months in 3 trimesters conducted in English. Free accommodation will be provided only during the first trimester at CCRI, Balehonnur, Chikmagalur.
Admissions open to candidates from open category and preference is given to those sponsored by coffee industry. Selection will be based on academic record, personal interview and sensory evaluation test.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects namely Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Bioscience, Food Technology, Food Science, Environmental science or a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural sciences.
Application forms can be downloaded from www.indiacoffee.org or collected personally from Coffee Board, Bangalore.
Filled in application form along with a NEFT transfer details for Rs.1500/- payable to Coffee Board Account No. 64015049024, State Bank of India, IFSC – SBIN0040022, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru should reach ‘Divisional Head, Coffee Quality (I/c) Coffee Board, No.1, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru-560 001’ latest by 1st December 2021.
Foreign students admitted under open and sponsored categories should be well versed in the English language. Their admission is subject to the cclearance of Govt. of India.
Interview and selection will be held on 10th December 2021.
Course Fee is Rs.2,50,000/-. SC/ST applicants submitting caste certificate along with the application will get concession of 50% in course fee.
www.indiacoffee.org
source: http://www.english.mathrubhumi.com / Mathrubhumi / Home> English Education> News & Updates / November 28th, 2021
Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal at a review meeting in Madikeri on Wednesday.
Observing that the crop survey is being hit by an inordinate delay in the district, Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal instructed the officials concerned to speed up the process.
Reviewing the progress of the crops survey, during a meeting held at her office on Wednesday, she said that crops in 2.62 lakh survey numbers should have been completed in the district by now.
However, crops in only 1,762 survey numbers have been covered, she said and requested the cooperative banks, coffee board and other organisations related to agriculture and horticulture to cooperate with the department in carrying out the survey.
Cooperative Societies deputy registrar B K Salim said that there are 73 primary agricultural cooperative societies in the district and they will join hands in the crop survey.
Agriculture department technical officer Narayana Reddy said that the farmers can carry out the crop survey themselves, by downloading the crop survey application on their mobile phones.
Charulata Somal also asked the officials to ensure the supply of fertilisers in the district in adequate quantity.
Agriculture department deputy director Shabana M Sheikh said that 32,082 metric tonnes of fertiliser have been supplied to the district.
Coffee Board deputy director Shivakumaraswamy, District Lead Bank manager R K Balachandra, horticulture department deputy director H Shashidhar were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / August 26th, 2021
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