Value addition to strengthen farmer incomes in ASR district.
Principal Secretary, Food Processing Industries & Commerce Chiranjeevi Choudhary during a visit to a coffee plantation at Paderu in ASR district on Friday
Paderu (ASR dist):
A district-level programme on coffee value addition, farmer interaction and distribution of coffee baby pulpers to beneficiaries supported under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme was organised on Friday here in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district by the Coffee Board, Paderu, in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Food Processing Society (APFPS).
The programme was attended by Chiranjeevi Choudhary, Principal Secretary, Food Processing Industries & Commerce Department. Sub-Collector, Paderu, Regional Head, Union Bank of India-Vizianagaram Zone; Deputy Director Coffee Board, Senior Liaison Officer-Coffee Board, Zonal Manager-APFPS and other district officials, along with coffee farmers and PMFME beneficiaries.
Addressing the coffee farmers, Choudhary emphasised the importance of value addition at the farmer level, particularly the conversion of coffee cherries into parchment coffee. He highlighted that instead of selling raw coffee cherries immediately after harvest, farmers can improve price realisation and income by undertaking primary processing through coffee baby pulpers and producing quality coffee parchment.
The IFS officer stressed that strengthening coffee processing at the farm and cluster level will not only enhance the value of the produce but also contribute to improving the overall productivity and sustainability of the coffee sector in the ASR region.
As part of the programme, coffee baby pulpers were distributed to PMFME-supported coffee parchment processing beneficiaries for the financial year 2026–27. Under the collaborative efforts of APFPS and Coffee Board, Paderu, a target has been set to support 1,000 coffee baby pulpers during the current financial year to facilitate wider adoption of on-farm coffee processing among eligible coffee farmers.
The convergence of APFPS and Coffee Board interventions under the PMFME framework is aimed at developing a stronger coffee processing cluster in the ASR district, enabling farmers to move from the sale of raw coffee cherries towards parchment processing and further value addition.
As on date, 200 coffee parchment processing units have been promoted with a total project cost of approximately Rs1.30 crore under the initiative. The intervention is expected to create greater opportunities for local processing, improve value retention within the coffee-growing communities and strengthen the coffee value chain in the district. The interaction also provided an opportunity for farmers to share their field-level experiences, challenges and requirements relating to coffee processing, marketing and value addition.
source: http://www.bizzbuzz.com / Bizz Buzz / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh/ by Bizz Buzz / October 10th, 2026
