Category Archives: Coffee News

Wildlife film fests to showcase Maharashtra’s biodiversity

Agriculture, Coffee News, Nature

Nagpur:
At a time when coal mining and other detrimental projects are posing a severe threat to forest and wildlife, state forest department has decided to promote its rich biodiversity and wildlife through film festivals.

This will be for the first time wildlife film festivals will be organized in cities by the forest department with the help of Nature Walk, Pune. The proposal has already been approved by principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi. The schedules and detailed programme will be worked out at a meeting to be held in Mumbai on Thursday.

R R Sahay, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) for information and technology and policy, said, “It’s an attempt to give impetus to forest and wildlife. We have asked our officials to coordinate with Nature Walk.”

The festivals will be organized not only in cities like Aurangabad, Solapur, Nashik, Kolhapur and Nagpur as proposed by the Nature Walk, but in other places too, Sahay told TOI. Nature Walk has a collection of around 900 films that showcase wildlife, forest and biodiversity of our country. “We in Pune hold wildlife film festivals that are highly appreciated by the common man. There is huge viewership of wildlife on channels like Discovery and National Geographic, but these channels don’t promote much about our region,” said Anuj Khare, honorary district wildlife warden of Pune.

Khare feels these festivals will not only help create awareness but will help brand building. The publicity wing of the forest department will help with auditorium or a school hall of a capacity of at least 500 people with a good audio system. The forest officials will also help in making other arrangements.

“Plan is to hold such festivals on Saturdays and Sundays where Nature Walk team will screen the films. The films will be first introduced and then a post-screening discussion will be held. We can also have a morning nature walk on one of the days. This will help build goodwill of forest department,” Khare felt.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Nagpur / by Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN / September 27th, 2012

Indian coffee consumption rises in 2011: ICO

Coffee News

Coffee consumption in India rose by 3% to 1.06 lakh tons in 2011, compared to 1.03 lakh tons in the previous year, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO).

The intergovernmental organization said that the consumption of the brew in the world’s sixth largest exporter grew at a compound annual growth rate of 5.7% during 2001-2011.

However, the per capita consumption remained unchanged in 2011 at 0.1 kg per person per year since 2008, reported The Hindu Business Line citing ICO data.

ICO was quoted by the newspaper as saying, “However, there is clearly much potential for growth, particularly in countries with large populations such as India, Indonesia and Mexico.”

Compared to the global rate, coffee consumption growth in India is still higher.

Global consumption of the brew grew 1.7% in 2011 to an estimated 137.9 million bags against the 135.6 million bags in 2010.

On the other hand in India, coffee consumption was up to 1.08 lakh tons in 2010, an increase of 6%, compared to 1.02 lakh tons in 2009, the government-run Coffee Board of India said

source: http://www.hotdrinks.drinks-business-review.com / Home> Hot Drink News / By DBR Staff Writer / September 17th, 2012

Coffee perks up on smaller crop, higher demand

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

Kochi:
A crop shortfall and higher international demand are raising robusta coffee prices while arabica prices, which had fallen in the past few months, are going up again.

Many roasters increased the share of robusta in blends six months ago when arabica prices zoomed due to a global crop shortage. Robusta prices, which have been more or less steady, are now looking up following an uptick in demand. Arabica prices which had declined in the past few months are becoming dearer as well. In London, the September contract for robusta climbed up 1.7% to $2,246 per tonne. The New York prices of arabica, which had plunged from 300 cents per pound to 148 cents, have edged up to 173 cents per pound.

“Local coffee prices reflect international trends. Robusta parchment prices are ruling in the range of Rs 190 to Rs 200 per kg. Arabica plantation prices have also touched Rs 215 per kg, though not as high as the level attained last year,” said BS Suryaprakash, chief executive of Coorg Coffee Supplies.

The prices of robusta cherry, which account for the bulk of coffee production, have moved up by Rs 20 to Rs 140 per kg now. “The roasters who did not buy earlier are lifting the stock shelling out more,” said a buying agent for a coffee exporting firm.

The local roasters who had raised the prices by 10%-15% when arabica prices shot up cut the prices marginally when the beans became cheaper. Others managed to do without a price increase by adding more robusta and chicory to the blends. Roasters are now monitoring the situation closely and may go for an upward revision if the trend persists, Suryaprakash said.

Demand for robusta has gone up in the last year when arabica prices zoomed. This has led to more buying of the variety. But given the good harvest in Vietnam and Brazil, prices may not go up sharply. Planters in India have predicted the robusta crop for the next season to be around 10,000 tonne smaller than the Coffee Board estimate of 2.21 lakh tonne.

But coffee exports, unlike last year, were around 5% lower at 2,24,529 tonne during the January 1-July 25 period, which may make available more coffee for domestic roasters, said Marvin Rodrigues, chairman of Karnataka Planters’ Association.

source: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com / Home> News> Economy> Agriculture / by P K Krishnakumari, ET Bureau / July 31st, 2012

Coffee Board of India

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

The Coffee Board was founded in 1942 to provide support to local coffee growers. In 1995, the institution withdrew from marketing operations, once the industry became self-sufficient.

Now it focuses on research, development, quality control and market promotion. It advises the government on matters relating to the industry.

The board also provides diploma courses in coffee quality management and holds the Indian Barista Championship to encourage baristas from across the country.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Features> Neighbourhood / June 28th, 2012

Who won the Flavour of India Fine Cup Award?

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)


The results are in and have recently been published in the Hindu Business Line.

The winner of the Flavour of India Fine Cup Award has been decided.

This is a competition which has been organised by the Coffee Board of India on an annual basis, to promote the production of high-end gourmet quality coffee.

The aim?

To introduce these fine coffees to the international coffee industry.

And the results are in for this year… Who won?

The Pedabayalu Coffee has been awarded the best in region for this year.

The coffee is grown in the Visakhapatnam district in the Araku region.

The judges who made this decision were an international jury and they met in Melbourne in Australia.

It was chosen in the Arabica general category of coffee – the arabica bean, of course, is one of the favourites in coffee circles.

This Visakhapatnam district has some 4,000 hectares of coffee and takes the matter seriously.

There are around 3,000 families who work on these coffee plantations and they are obviously doing a good job.

What happens now?

The coffees which have been decreed as being outstanding, such as Pedabayalu coffee, will be chosen on a national level for ‘final cupping.’

This will take place by an international jury of well-regarded Cup Tasters from around the globe.

Hopefully, the Flavour of Fine Cup Award winner will do well on this occasion too.

Whatever the outcome at the final cupping, the profile of Indian gourmet coffee has been raised.

Posted by Clive on Monday the 28th May 2012

source: http://www.worldcoffeenews.com / by Clive / Monday, May 28th, 2012

‘Coffee is becoming trendy’

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

SPECIAL FEATURE: GLOBAL INVESTORS MEET

Javed Akhtar, Chairman of Coffee Board

IN the late 1960s and early 1970s, good grade coffee beans and powder were in short supply in India. One could buy them only at specially established coffee depots. There would be long queues at these depots to collect a token to purchase the beans or powder. The beans would be taken home, roasted, ground by manual grinders and then used to produce the best-smelling, best-tasting filter coffee. Today, coffee is in abundance, and there is a wide variety of beans to choose from, thanks to improved methods of cultivation, increased production and the liberalisation of the Indian coffee industry.

The credit for promoting the flavour of coffee must go to the Coffee Board of India. Set up under an Act of Parliament in 1942, the Coffee Board is an autonomous body functioning under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Its main focus is on basic and applied research in coffee, quality upgradation and promotion of coffee in the domestic and international markets. The Coffee Board until 1995 had a pool (controlled) marketing system for coffee. With economic liberalisation, coffee production became a strictly private sector activity. The board’s Central Coffee Research Institute, located in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, is one of the premier coffee research institutes in the world.

The Coffee Board will, without doubt, be one of the star attractions at GIM 2012, promoting coffee and showcasing its many flavours. On the eve of the GIM, Javed Akhtar, the Coffee Board Chairman, took some time off to speak to Frontline. Excerpts from the interview:

What plans does the board have to promote coffee?

Coffee consumption in the country has been growing at a rate of 5 to 6 per cent a year. At present, coffee consumption is over one lakh tonnes a year. From being a traditional beverage consumed mainly in south India, coffee has become a trendy beverage with a national presence, consumed in several forms. Its strong presence in the domestic market provides many avenues for enterprise development.

What has facilitated this growth in consumption?

The growth of the domestic market has been possible through the promotion of awareness and consumption of pure coffee. This has been done through generic promotional campaigns using mass media and participation in domestic events and festivals. To facilitate entrepreneurial development in the coffee value chain, the Coffee Board has been training people in coffee roasting and brewing. This business vertical is complemented by providing support for setting up roasting units.

The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has suggested that tea be declared the national drink.

I am not aware of any drink being declared as the national drink. Anyway, we don’t position coffee as competing with any drink.

How do you plan to attract investors to the coffee industry?

The strong growth in coffee consumption is throwing open opportunities for value addition. The outlook for this sector is much more attractive, given the continuing industry dynamism. The interest in the domestic coffee market can be seen by the high level of investment in the sector with the establishment of a Lavazza unit, the entry of Starbucks [which has a tie-up with Tata Coffee] and the arrival of Dunkin’ Donuts [a United States-based coffee and baked-goods chain]. It is also seen that the existing coffee retailers such as Café Coffee Day, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean &Tea Leaf, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Aromas, Au Bon Pain and Testa Rossa are planning to expand their businesses to capitalise on this enthusiasm for coffee. At the same time, small and medium roasting units and stand-alone cafes are also finding their way into niche coffee market development.

Growers complain of a lack of stability in coffee prices.

The price of coffee has never been stable. It depends on demand and supply, the quantity and quality of harvest, the powerful and influential secondary markets in London and New York. Though coffee is grown in developing countries, it is consumed in developed countries, so the state of the economy of these countries goes a long way in determining the price of coffee. What is needed to be provided to the grower is good/adequate returns in capital and labour costs.

Growers complain of a cartelisation of prices by big growers.

There are around 74 or 75 coffee exporters, among whom 10 are big. But there is no cartelisation of prices. There is also no abnormality of prices and it is a free and mature market.

Ravi Sharma

source: http://www.frontline.in / vol.29 , issue. 11 , june 02-15, 2012

South sips tea, North cool with coffee

Coffee News

Bangalore:

Coffee in the North, tea in the South. In a reversal of preferences, more coffee is being consumed in North India while tea is gradually becoming the preferred drink of the South. And it’s by choice, say industry experts.

Coffee consumption has gone up by 6% in the past few years while tea consumption has shown a 3% annual growth, with both registering thumping increase in hitherto lean-consumption regions. A recent survey by Coffee Board of India, Bangalore shows that of late, more than 50% growth has come from non-South regions. The count of casual coffee drinkers has increased significantly in the past few years in the non-South regions.

“Growth opportunities lie with occasional drinkers and more so in North, East and West of India, which are potential segments to tap”, said a coffee board official.

It’s a similar story in tea. Karnataka records a per capita consumption of 822gm and features in the second highest tea consuming states category. These are in the 800-1,000gm category and include Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

“India is the world’s largest consumer of tea in terms of volume. The domestic market growth has been very significant with non-southern states definitely showing a substantial growth,” G Boraiah, director, development, Tea Board of India, Kolkata, told TOI.

Reasons for shift

“Tea is high on medicinal value. Cities like Bangalore boast of a huge youth base, with access to literature and online information, and they’re perhaps making a conscious decision to switch to tea,” said Boraiah. Significantly, older people in the South still swear by coffee. South India continues to have the largest number of coffee drinkers.

“Tea contains anti-oxidants which are beneficial to the human body,” said V G Dhanakumar, director, Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), Bangalore. An initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, IIPM is co-promoted by the commodity boards viz. Coffee Board, Rubber Board, Tea Board and Spices Board and Plantation Industry Association.

The growing popularity of coffee, including in the North-East (known to be the biggest tea consumers) can be attributed to the many international coffee chains. In southern states, with a rise in migrant population, coffee is steadily giving way tea.

“Thanks to visibility, interest and growing popularity, coffee consumption has grown thanks to increasing number of coffee bars and cafes. The primary reason has been a significant shift in demographics, increased urbanization and greater disposable income levels,” said a coffee board official.

Coffee Trends

* Consumption has shown an annual average growth of about 6% in past decade — from 70,000 MT (metric tonnes) to 1,02,000 MT till 2009

* Consumption has increased in six years by about 32,000 MT, of which more than 50% growth has come from non-south regions

* Consumption has grown in non-south regions at 42% annually (5456 MT to 21,558 MT) while it has grown by 3.5% annually in southern states (64834 MT to 80538 MT)

(Source: Coffee Board of India, Bangalore)

Tea Tale

Year Estimated consumption (at 3.7% growth)

2010

889.15

2011

922.05

2012

956.16

2013

991.54

2014

1028.23

2015

1066.27

2016

1105.73

2017

1146.64

(Consumption in million kg)

(Source: Tea Board of India, Kolkata)

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / May 29th, 2012

Specialty food, beverage sales soar to $75 Billion

Coffee News

New York:
Consumer willingness try new foods and flavors helped propel U.S. retail and foodservice sales of specialty food and beverages to $75 billion in 2011, a 6.9% increase over 2010 sales, according to a new report from the National Association for the Specialty Trade (NASFT). Surging demand for yogurt, energy bars, nut and seed butters and coffee drinks helped drive sales to new highs for the second year in a row.

The report, “The State of the Specialty Food Industry 2012″ tracks sales of specialty food through supermarkets, natural food stores and specialty food retailers, and includes research from interviews with food retailers, distributors, brokers and others involved in the supply chain.

“Consumers are making better food a part of their lifestyle,” said Ron Tanner, vice president, communications and education, for the NASFT. “They are embracing new foods and flavors and are willing to choose top-quality even while they economize elsewhere.”

Cheese continues to dominate specialty foods, pulling in $3.44 billion in retail sales in 2011. The next largest retail sales categories are meats, poultry and seafood; chips, pretzels and snacks; coffee, coffee substitutes and cocoa; and bread and baked goods. Functional beverages are the fastest-growing segment, followed by yogurt and kefir.

While 2011 product introductions declined 6.2% a manufacturers focused on existing lines, there is positive momentum for the industry as the average transaction size for specialty food stores jumped 11.4% to $41.49.

Key takeaways from the report include:

Specialty foods represent 13.7% of all food sales at retail.

Kosher is the leading claim for new specialty food products, followed by All Natural.
Natural food stores are the fastest growing retail channel, with a sales increase of 19.8% from 2009-2011.
In 2011, 41% of specialty food manufacturers reported a sales increase of more than 20%.
Local is the most influential product claim today, according to 75% of retailers surveyed.
Latin is the fastest-emerging cuisine, retailers said. Importers report growth in cuisines from Eastern Europe and India.

Sources:
National Association for the Specialty Food Trade: Specialty Food Industry Hits New High
www.foodproductdesign.com / Home> News / April 02nd, 2012

Arabica Plantation grades gets few enquires at ICTA

Coffee News

Bangalore, MARCH 19:
Arabica Plantation coffees got fewer enquiries from exporters and roasters during the auction of the Indian Coffee Trade Association last week.

According to auctioneer J Thomas & Company, Arabica Cherry coffees got enquiries from the roasters and Robusta Parchment was well received by both exporters and domestic trade. Where as Robusta Cherry got selective enquiries at the Indian Coffee Trade Association (ICTA) auction.

A few lots of Arabica Plantation MNEB and C grade sold at current price levels (Rs 11,100), where as PB, A and B grade received no enquiries. Arabica Cherry PB, A, AA and C grade received few enquiries and sold between Rs 7,200 and Rs 7,800 to mainly the roasters.

Robusta Parchment coffees got good support from the exporters and also from the domestic trade. The price for PB and RKR grade was higher by Rs 100-200/50 kg compared to previous sale; AB, AA and C grade sold at current price levels.

Robusta Cherry C grade sold at current price levels, while other grades remained unsold as seller’s price expectation were higher than the buyer’s interest.

Arabica Plantation, Arabica Cherry and Robusta Parchment BBB price were higher by Rs 200-400/50 kg compared to last levels; Robusta Cherry BBB sold at current price levels.

Following are the prices quoted for grades in 50 kg bags:

Arabica varieties — Arabica Plantation MNEB Rs 11,100-11,200, Arabica Plantation C Rs 9,510, Arabica Plantation BBB Rs 6,400-6,900, Arabica Cherry PB Rs 8,750, Arabica Cherry A Rs 9,500, Arabica Cherry AA Rs 9,600, Arabica Cherry C Rs 6,700 and Arabica Cherry BBB Rs 5,750.

Robusta varieties — Robusta Parchment PB Rs 7,200, Robusta Parchment AB Rs 7,800, Robusta Parchment AA Rs 7,950, Robusta Parchment RKR Rs 7,850 and Robusta Parchment BBB Rs 5,450-5,500, Robusta Cherry C Rs 5,375, Robusta Cherry BBB Rs 5,300-5,325.

anil.u@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Industry & Economy> Agri-Biz / by Anil Urs / March 19th, 2012

Budget 2012: It’s time to wake up and smell the good brews

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), , , , , , , , , ,

The coffee business will get an impetus from the reduction in basic customs duty from 7.5% to 5% on specified coffee plantation and processing machinery. Some say it could even encourage home-brewing of coffee.

Coffee growers, brewers, grinders, roasters, processors, curers and retailers will now be able to import machinery and equipment at a lower cost. It will allow more farmers to import farming equipment like weed cutters, berry pluckers, grading and cleaning machines, sprayers and other plantation machinery. Coffee retailers may be able to import coffee dispensers, vending machines, blenders, shakers etc at a lower cost.

Anil Bhandari, president of the India Coffee Trust, said most of these equipment are imported now and therefore the cut in import duty will give a boost to the coffee landscape in general.

Marvin Rodrigues, chairman of Karnataka Planters’ Association, said the reduction in import duty would complement Coffee Board’s mechanization scheme. “The board has been pushing for mechanization, taking cognizance of the acute labour shortage and wide-spread labour migration in the plantation industry. The only way to survive is to introduce mechanization,” he said.

Bose Mandanna, member of the Coffee Board and a large coffee planter from Coorg, said any reduction in import duty would benefit the entire coffee eco-system, be it growers, roasters, curers or retailers.

The coffee culture in India is becoming stronger. The country’s per capita coffee consumption now is 100 grams, up from just 60 grams three years ago. In England it is 9 kilograms, and in the US 5.5 kg.

“Coffee consumption is growing at 40% per annum in northern states, where it has not been the traditional beverage. The favorable duty structure will also help kick start a home-brewing culture. If coffee brewing machines are available in the Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 range, many households will be interested in them. Currently they are well over Rs 10,000,” said Bhandari.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Business> Budget 2012> Union Budget / TNN / March 17th, 2012