Coffee production in the country this year could reach close to three lakh metric tonnes. Production in Karnataka, the country’s largest coffee producer, would also be better compared to the last few years, said former Coffee Board Chairman Javed Akhtar.
Speaking at the India Coffee Awards Ceremony, organised by Coffee Board on Thursday, he said that the scheme to expand Indian coffee internationally was extremely successful and Indian exporters are hugely respected. The export of this bean has also registered a marked increase, consistently touching three metric tonnes annually in the last few years, he added. Coffee Board Chairman Leena Nair said that 128 entities were actively exporting coffee in 2013-2014 to more than 100 countries with earnings close to Rs. 4,594 crore.
Andhra Pradesh is also gearing up to become a serious coffee producing State, another former Chairman G.V. Krishna Rau pointed out.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – January 08th, 2016
After flip-flopping for many months, there is a concrete sign of Karnataka getting its first river museum. On Wednesday, the state government took first baby steps to expedite on its dream project, Cauvery river gallery.
The gallery, expected to be thrown open to the public in six months from now will showcase cultural and socio economic aspects of the river. It will feature exhibits, detailed satellite images, multimedia displays, digital video-shows and real-time experience of cruising along the river which is around 765 km in length.
Originating in the Brahmagiri Hill in Kodagu, the river flows from the western ghats and descends into the eastern ghats in a south-easterly direction covering 320 km in Karnataka and drains itself into the Bay of Bengal. “The proposed gallery would be set up with the support of the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI).
The government has already earmarked Rs 3.5 crore for the project. NASI would run it for first three years, train local personnel and then hand it over to the state government,” tourism minister R V Deshpande after signing an MOU with NASI on Wednesday said. By capturing the etymological, ecological, cultural, heritage, and social characteristics of the river, the gallery which would be set up in about 2500 sq ft area will also serve as a learning centre on the major south Indian river. The modalities are being worked out by the NASI, he added
Though the proposal was mooted by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission headed by K Kasturirangan, the government failed to find an appropriate place.
Initially, the commission had suggested establishing the gallery on the banks of the river Cauvery at Mysuru on the lines of Ganga Gallery at Allahabad and Brahmaputra Gallery at Guwahati. Later it was planned to establish the gallery in the premises of University of Mysore and also at a century old mansion on Kantharaj Urs Road in Mysuru.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Good Governanace> Karnataka / Manu Aiyappa / TNN / January 07th, 2016
Indian tennis ace Leander Paes on Wednesday said if he partners Rohan Bopanna in the men’s doubles event in the Rio Olympics next year they will have the best chance of grabbing a medal.
“Pretty obvious in the men’s doubles that Rohan and myself have the best chance of going out there and winning the medal. Rohan has been playing some wonderful tennis, he has been playing with (Florin) Mergea and has done well. With Rohan and myself playing doubles for India, I think we have a great chance of grabbing a medal,” Paes told reporters in Kolkata where he had come as IDBI’s Kolkata Marathon’s ‘Face of the Event’.
Paes also says based on their current performances, he and Sania Mirza can be sent to Rio de Janeiro next year to represent the country in Olympics. (Getty Images)
“I had wanted to play with him in London. In the grass courts it was a great platform for us to do well.”
Four years back in London, Paes had to partner Vishnu Vardhan and they lost in the second round. He then combined with Sania Mirza but bowed out to the eventual mixed doubles champions Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
The 42-year-old believes based on current performance he and Mirza should be sent to represent the country in the mixed doubles event.
“With Sania Mirza, I played at London, we lost to the eventual champions Azarenka and Mirnyi. We had a great chance in that game too. We have both had good seasons, so on merit it is an obvious choice to let me and Sania go. But after what happened in London I don’t think anything can be taken for granted,” he said pointing to the fact that he was paired with Vardhan who during the London Olympics was ranked 209.
Both Mahesh Bhupathi and Bopanna refused to play doubles with Paes, after which the national tennis federation persuaded Sania Mirza to play with the veteran Kolkatan. And Paes paired up with lowly-ranked Vardhan.
The nine-time mixed doubles Grand Slam winner said that he was focussing on the event more as he had been successful in it in the last few years.
“For Rio, I have focussed a lot on mixed doubles, I have been focussing on the Grand Slams as mixed doubles is only played in four Grand Slams. And having a wonderful partner in Martina Hingis has allowed me to do that. Winning three of the four Grand Slams leading into the Olympics, it’s pretty obvious where my focus is,” he said.
“Having got the medal in singles already in the Olympics, to do it in the doubles and mixed doubles is something I am focussing on.”
The tennis star added that he is looking forward to playing alongside Bopanna and Sania if he gets the opportunity and that representing the country and getting a medal is the foremost thing on his mind.
“Let’s see how the next six months turn up. I hope another London does not happen. But representing the country is the foremost thing in my mind. And I think the best team should go and represent the country and it should be done on merit. I am looking forward to playing with Sania and Rohan if I get the opportunity.”
“I hope to have a chance at winning the medal and then hang that on my showcase along with the single’s medal,” concluded Paes who will set a record if he features in Rio for playing in the most number of Olympics as a tennis star.
source: http://www.ibnlive.com / IBN Live.com / Home> Sport / IANS / December 23rd, 2016
It is a nerve-jangling bus ride to this Coorg town, named for its ‘Monday market’, but there’s a headily fragrant perfect cup at the end of it
If I have a hunch I take it seriously. Although my Kannada skills are somewhat limited, I figure that Somwarpet, the name of a tiny town in Karnataka’s Coorg hills, means ‘Monday market’. So being a bit of a shopaholic, I naturally decide to go there on a Monday.
As the bus rattles along winding jungle roads and occasionally through vast coffee plantations, past villages, and on narrow bridges across rivers flowing rather lazily, I worry a little. The only guidebook I found that mentioned Somwarpet was the 1870s’ Gazetteer of Coorg, according to which, “Though fully alive to their material interests, the town-people have little desire for or perhaps little faith in education after European fashion. They seem to be quite content with the knowledge of their bazaar-routine. Every Monday there is a market, hence the name of the place.” But that was when the population was 953, which has now grown to 7,218, and I have no way of knowing whether the Monday market tradition has been discontinued and replaced by modern supermarkets. The one thing I do know is that it’s a major Arabica growing region of India (at least according to Wikipedia), which for any coffee lover is a good enough reason to head that way.
The bus gets impossibly crowded, with more people piling in the closer we get to Somwarpet. An exasperated dad offloads a clutch of toddlers into my lap and for about an hour I have the poopers crawling all over me. Luckily, before there is a stampede, the bus reaches its destination.
The small town sits on a ridge surrounded by scenic, green hills. Its handful of criss-crossing streets is lined with tiny shops and old bungalows. The large, partially covered market dominates the centre. Here one gets pretty much everything from fresh produce and spices, bakery products and fried snacks, to homemade pickles, poultry and vegetables, plus things like detergents, clocks, rechargeable torches, and even clothes sold in big piles. One section is devoted to dried fish and there’s a pungent smell in the air — like walking around in a huge kitchen.
For such a small town, the market is humongous and I stroll in its crowded lanes, rapt. I seem to be the only tourist in town. Small girls turn their heads, point and giggle.
Watching the food on display makes me ravenous. I go up the main street and spot a few veg and non-veg eateries, a biriyani joint, and ancient seedy bars housed in ramshackle bungalows. But I need something more substantial than bar snacks, and I don’t quite want to wolf down my grub at a shared canteen table either, while the next customer waits for me to vacate my seat; so I turn and head downhill instead, towards the Madikeri Road. After a three-minute walk, I discover Hotel Saphali Family Restaurant adjacent to a coconut plantation. It appears to be the only proper restaurant hereabouts — meaning it has menu cards and clean restrooms.
It does not disappoint. The Coorg-style pork fry (₹100) is cooked in a very homely manner and a chicken masala with a stack of Kerala parathas comes at ₹140, plus one can have a big bottle of chilled beer for ₹100. Don’t let the local drunks put you off, for it simply seems the done thing in Somwarpet to begin tippling by noon — at least on market days. And what better way to start the week than by sharing a bottle with mates? I hear the increasingly boisterous banter from the booths surrounding the dining hall (which I have to myself). The only word I catch yelled frequently is ‘politician’. Mondays in Somwarpet can be quite a ball.
After this sublime, leisurely lunch, it is shopping time. A couple of coffee mills uphill from the bus station beckon. One is surrounded by a heady fragrance of roasting coffee. At the tiny Someshwara Coffee Works, the proprietor Mr Kumar is busy running both the roasting oven and the grinder at the same time, his shirt-front brown from coffee powder. I learn that his family has had the mill for 50 years and they have a plantation where they grow only Arabica.
Full of beans: A farmer at a coffee plantation in Coorg
While other mills offer you blends of Robusta and Arabica (and chicory), Kumar deals exclusively in Coorg Arabica. I request 2kg pure. As he grinds half of it ‘nice’, meaning fine ground, I pull out a thousand-rupee note thinking that this is going to cost a bomb, when Kumar suddenly turns and says, “520.” Then he changes his mind —“Give 500.”
I find it hard to believe that quality coffee can come as cheap as ₹250 a kg. But the scent, powerful and rich, is promising and indeed, the coffee, once I brew myself a mug at home, turns out to be the best I’ve tasted. Sipping, I’m totally blissed out. Over the next couple of weeks, it rattles my brain awake in the mornings; the sheer fragrance jumpstarts me. I realise I will have to keep returning to Somwarpet whenever my stock runs out. No matter that I have to spend hours in a jungle bus with random toddlers on my lap. It’s worth it.
Zac O’Yeah is a Bengaluru-based travel writer, literary critic and author of ‘Hari A Hero for Hire’, a comic thriller; zacnet@email. co
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line – BLINK / Home> BLINK> Takeaway> Tummy Travels / by Zac O Yeah / December 18th, 2015
Actress Prema with nearly 45 films to her credit better known as the lucky actress in Kannada film industry has been engaged to her boy friend Jeevan Appachu who is also a Coorgi.
The alliance has been arranged by her parents, according to her family sources. The engagement at Kodava Samaj in Bangalore was attended by 200 guests.
Actress Prema would continue her acting career after marriage, says her mother Cauvery. The marriage date has been fixed for second week of July 2006. Prema has acted with all superstars including a Malayalam film with Mohanlal and Tamil actor Satyaraj.
Jeevan Appachu is a software professional.
Prema’s Kannada hits include Upendra, Nammura Mandara Hoove, Yajamana, Om, Kaurava, Gajina Mane, Chandrodaya, Kothigalu Saar Kothigalu and Parva.
source: http://www.sify.com / Sify.com / Home> Sify Movies> Kannada / by Moviebuzz / Friday – March 24th, 2016
A new range of sugar-free cakes of Blends & Brews Coffee Shoppe was launched by renowned Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, at the outlet in Thumbay Hospital – Dubai on Thursday December 31.
He also met and interacted with visitors at the outlet, and obliged their requests for selfies and autographs.
“We are happy to announce that our range of sugar-free cakes will now be available across all Blends & Brews outlets. We welcome people who prefer sugar-free delicacies to try out the newest of our high quality products for our valued customers,” said Farhad C, Director of the Hospitality Division of Thumbay Group.
Blends & Brews is a UAE-born chain of coffee shops owned by Thumbay Group, with outlets across various locations in the country, and in Hyderabad – India. It offers a delicious range of coffees and local savories, as well as sugar-free beverages, cakes and cookies. As part of the strategic plan of Thumbay Group, an addition of 100 Blends & Brews outlets within the UAE is aimed in the next 6-7 years. The Group also plans to extend franchise offers to partners in other countries including MENA region and India.
Blends & Brews Coffee Shoppe’s beverages have won many awards in various national and international competitions.
Some of the awards include the ‘Best Signature Drink of the Year-2006’ award at the 1st UAE Barista Championship held at Dubai Trade Center in association with DSS Summer Fiesta & ILLY Caffé, the ‘Platinum Award’ at the Indian BARISTA Championship for the year 2007 organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of India & the Coffee Board of India.
Blends & Brews Coffee Shoppe was a finalist at the World Barista Championship in Tokyo, Japan in July 2007.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Gulf / Media Release / Dubai, Thursday – December 31st, 2015
The new KPR-1 paddy and HCH-6 seeds have been developed by scientists at UAHS, Shivammoga
Yield in the case of traditional varieties said to be declining by the year owing to disease
Farm trial of new varieties have been completed
They are just awaiting official approval for release
Their yield has also been found to be higher than traditional varieties
Scientists at the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, have developed disease-resistant varieties of paddy and castor seeds.
The new paddy variety is called as KPR (Karnataka Ponnampet Rice)-1. The yield of paddy has come down drastically in recent times in Malnad and central Karnataka regions owing to blast disease, which is caused by a fungus called Magnaporthe grisea.
The infection affects the plant’s growth and slows down the process of grain maturity.
The KPR-1 has been developed by the scientists at Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station of the university in Ponnampet. As part of the initial evaluation trial, a total of 1,450 paddy varieties were cultivated in plots prone to the blast disease. However, some IET-21214 plant variety is said to have shown stiff resistance to blast disease. The parentage of KPR-1 variety is from IET-21214 variety and it has been developed under breeding method.
The Tunga variety of paddy, which is also known for its resistance to blast disease, is most popular among the farmers in Malnad and central Karnataka region.
The yield of Tunga variety is found to be around 45 to 50 quintals an acre and it is 55 to 65 quintals an acre in the case of KPR-1 variety. T.H. Gowda, Director of Extension of UAHS, Shivamogga, told The Hindu that the field trial of KPR-1 was conducted on the plots owned by farmers in Virajpet, Ponnampet and Mudigere. The average yield in the case of KPR-1 is said to be about 20 per cent more than the Tunga and other blast-disease resistant varieties. The KPR-1 variety has shown resistance to brown hopper disease also, he said.
The castor seed oil, considered as one of the major industrial oil seeds variety, is widely cultivated in dry regions of Chitradurga, Davangere and Tumakuru districts. However, the yield of castor seed has been waning owing to fusarium wilt and white fly infection.
Scientists at zonal agricultural and horticultural research station of the university at Hiriyur have developed a disease-resistant and high-yield variety of castor seed named HCH (Hybrid Castor Hiriyur)-6, which is a fusion of DPC-9 and TMV-6 varieties. If cultivated as a solo crop, the yield of HCH-6 variety is said to be around 18 quintals a hectare of land, while it was around 13-14 quintals a ha in other existing varieties.
As part of the farm trial, Lakshmanappa, a farmer from Holalkere in Chitradurga district, who had cultivated HCH-6 variety of castor in his land, said that the yield had increased by around 22 per cent and the plants were free from wilt infection.P. Narayanaswamy, Director of Research, UAHS, Shivamogga, said that KPR-1 paddy and HCH-6 castor seeds would be released after getting approval from the State-level Variety Release Committee and the Central Sub-committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties. The seeds of both the varieties would be released by June, 2016, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Veerandra P.M. / Shivamogga – December 26th, 2015
Ahead of the Premier Badminton League, here’s your guide to one of India’s best shuttlers.
Ashwini Ponappa is one of the most talented badminton players in India
Indian badminton doubles star Ashwini Ponappa has already seen several memorable moments during the course of her career. Her successful partnership with Jwala Gutta in the doubles has brought India many laurels and they continue to be the pair on which the country’s doubles hopes are pinned on.
After first bursting on to the scene as an 18-year-old in 2007, Ponappa has made steady if not rapid strides in her career, and with Gutta will be a key component if India are to excel in the sport in Rio 2016.
Here are 10 things to know about the badminton ace:
1) Ashwini Ponnappa was born on the 18th of September, 1989 in Coorg, Karnataka. Her father was a national hockey player. However, she preferred badminton over hockey and started training in the sport.
2) She completed her schooling at St. Francis Xavier’s Girl’s High School in Bengaluru and moved to Hyderabad to pursue her bachelors degree.
3) Ponappa shot to fame when she won the Indian junior championships in 2001, as a 12-year old and then five years later, clinched the Gold at the South Asian Games to impress many an expert and supporter.
4) At the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, she partnered Jwala Gutta to the Gold in the Women’s Doubles, with the two thereby becoming the first Indian pair to win a medal in that category at the event. Ponappa was also part of the team that won a silver in the Mixed Team event at the Games.
5) In 2011, Ponappa and Gutta came up with one of their finest performances when they won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in Copenhagen, thereby becoming Indian doubles pair and only the second after Prakash Padukone(1983), to stand on the podium at the marquee event.
6) In 2012 Olympics, Ashwini-Jwala pair narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal berth by a difference of just one point, thus denying them a medal
7 ) In June 2015, Ashwini-Jwala pair won the Canada Open women’s doubles title by defeating the top-seeded Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek. It was the pair’s first and only title in the year.
8) 2014 turned out to be a fruitful year for the duo as they won the silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and followed that up with Bronze medals in the Asian Games in Incheon and the Uber Cup in New Delhi.
9) Ponappa played for the Pune Pistons in the inaugural edition of the Indian Badminton League. In 2015, Bengaluru Top Guns chose her to represent their franchise in the Premier Badminton League(PBL).
10) The 26-year old is an animal lover and loves listening to music in her spare time.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / Sports Keeda.com / Home> Badminton / Premier Badminton League – Analysis / by Rohan Nagaraj / December 30th, 2015
Whether sipped early morning to get you out of bed or downing a cup with a late-night dessert, you’ll have to agree that there isn’t a more universally loved hot beverage than coffee. Taste is a personal thing, so it’s never right or wrong. But the perfect cup is all about choosing the right beans. I found an exciting new variety that you might have not discovered yet.
The coffee bean has an adventurous life. They are actually seeds enclosed in a red berry. These are extracted and roasted that lends the incredible taste and aroma. When left in their raw form, they are used to produce green coffee. These seeds are not roasted; instead they’re soaked and then concentrated in an extract. “As natural is the flavour of the season, green coffee gets its share of limelight but in some cases roasting brings out certain oils within the bean, which enhances the nutrient profile. In its pure form, green coffee has a low caffeine content which makes it healthier,” says Mr. Radhakrishnan, Coffee planter and Coffee powder manufacturer, Aromas of Coorg, Bangalore. It’s true. This masterpiece in your mug can do more than making an optimist out of you.
Why green is good
Green bean coffee extract became popular in 2012 after it was mentioned in the Dr. Oz show as a ‘magic weight- loss cure’. When roasted, coffee beans undergo numerous chemical changes. Their antioxidant levels increase, but the powers of a natural substance called chlorogenic acid decrease. This chemical is known to affect post-meal blood sugar levels, boost your metabolism, curb carb absorption and block fat accumulation – all of which aid weight loss. The chlorogenic acid content is higher when coffee beans are in their pure, natural form.
For some, drinking brewed green coffee may not be pleasant as it is slightly bitter than your regular, roasted coffee and therefore the extract is often used to make supplements. While pills and powders have never convinced me, the jury is still out.
“Green coffee might have a hand in slowing the rate of glucose release in our blood. If they are consumed before your meal, the chlorogenic acid reacts with the food and controls the amount of glucose we synthesize. This way it builds your metabolism that can lead to weight loss when coupled with a balanced diet and adequate physical activity. Everything is best when taken in its fresh and whole form as the synergy between various compounds present in the food makes it the most effective,” says Dr. Rupali Datta, Chief Clinical Dietician at Fortis-Escorts Hospital in New Delhi.
Don’t confine yourself to the hot fix. “Apart from the fact that there are claims that green coffee helps in weight loss, the simple fresh flavour of the brew can itself be quite refreshing. A good way to enjoy the young flavour of the green bean extract is to make a version of a virgin mojito out of it. Crushed ice, juice from half a lime, sprigs of fresh mint, cane or palm sugar, and some of the green coffee extract – all roughly muddled together can be an excellent day time drink,” suggests food writer and enthusiast, Priyadarshini Nandy.
She adds, “And for gym rats, a fresh smoothie to start your day is always a good idea. To make it vegan use something like almond milk, add brewed green coffee, a banana, some dates, maybe even a bit unsweetened cocoa powder, a few ice cubes and blend it on high speed. It can give your system a happy boost of energy after a workout.”
source: http://www.food.ndtv.com / NDTV Food / Home> Opinion / by Sivaganga Vasudeva, NDTV / December 30th, 2015
BJP candidate M.P. Sunil Subramani was declared winner after the counting of votes held this morning for the recently held Legislative Council Polls from Kodagu constituency.
The counting of votes was held at St. Joseph’s School premises under tight security provided by the District Police. Out of the 1,405 votes polled, 66 were rejected by the officials.
Among the 1,339 considered for counting, BJP’s M.P. Sunil Subramani polled a total of 683 votes while his nearest rival H.S. Chandramouli of Congress polled a total of 627 votes. JD(S) candidate Sanketh Poovaiah managed to get a mere 29 votes. The other two independent candidates C. Nagaveni and S.P. Mahadevappa failed to get even a single vote.
Following the declaration of the result, MP Pratap Simha, MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan, Kodagu District BJP President Suja Kushalappa and other leaders congratulated Sunil Subramani.
The winning candidate was also handed over the declaration certificate from Kodagu Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mir Anees Ahmed, who was also the District Election Officer.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 30th, 2015
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