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Drought, a blessing in disguise for Karnataka coffee growers

Agriculture, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)


Harvested Arabica coffee berries drying in sunlight at a plantation.
Bangalore , JAN. 4:
The drought in neighbouring districts has helped Karnataka’s coffee-growing regions get sufficient labour for picking coffee. This is because farming has been affected in the drought-hit areas. Besides, the slowdown in sectors such as mining and constructions has helped. The coffee belt of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur are getting many more workers from Mysore, Tumkur Chitradurga and Davangere.

“Easier labour availability has made coffee-picking manageable this season. Availability of workers between December and February is crucial for us to pick coffee and this year there is no dearth of labour,” Bose Mandana, a senior coffee planter from Suntikoppa in Kodagu, told Business Line.

“This year, however, since the crop is lower than the original estimate, we may need less labour,” he said.

LOWER WAGES

Due to more workers being available, wages have fallen by Rs 50-100 a day per person. Coffee-growers are paying Rs 200-250 a day, depending on the nature of work.

Labour shortage in the last three years had forced coffee growers to pay workers between Rs 250 and Rs 300 a day.

“In the last two to three years, we had to literally run behind the contractors to get workers. But this year, it is their turn to knock on our doors for estate-related jobs. This season, I am getting 20 to 30 calls per day, asking if I need workers,” said Mandana. Marvin Rodrigues, former Chairman, Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) and a grower from Hassan, said: “This year, we are getting people slightly more easily than the last few years. We are paying around Rs 200-210 for temporary workers.”

Nishant Gurjer, Chairman, KPA, and a grower from Chikmagalur, said: “This year, labour supply is plentiful and people are coming to work on the estates.”

“We are also getting quite a few experienced workers, who had worked in the estates earlier but had moved over to the mining and construction sector. Since these sectors are not doing too well now, they have returned.”

anil.u@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by Anil Urs / Bangalore, January 04th, 2013

Karnataka to expand orange cultivation

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature

Bangalore, Jan 03:
Karnataka is planning to expand area under orange cultivation by 50 per cent to 15,000 hectares in five years.

The horticulture department has identified Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts for expansion of orange growing area.

“As per the plan prepared by us, about 1,000-hectare addition is planned annually till we achieve sizable production level,” S.V. Hittalmani, Additional Director, Karnataka Horticulture Department, told Business Line.

“Looking at the favourable agro-climatic conditions, the department is planning to expand annually 500 hectares in Kodagu and the rest in Chikmagalur and Hassan districts,” he added.

At present, 10,000 hectares are under orange cultivation, mainly grown as intercrop in coffee estates, though real fruit yield comes only from 5,000 to 6,000 hectares.

“After inclusion of orange under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in the State seven years ago and also by offering Rs 15,000 per hectares as incentives to growers, we are seeing good quantity of oranges in the market,” said Hittalmani.

“Fairly good yield is being reported from Sidapura and Thitimati in Kodagu. Now we plan to replicate this in other districts where we plan to introduce the crop,” he added.

CURRENT YIELD

Current orange production (2012-13 crop year) in the State is estimated at 50,000 tonnes as against 45,000 tonnes last year (2011-12 crop year).

The department is also planning to give a boost to orange cultivation by encouraging fruit processing units in the growing regions. According to Hitalmani, at present a couple of processing units are operating under cooperative societies in Kushalnagar and Gonikoppa in Kodagu.

Hitalmani said the revival of orange in the State has led to steady demand. “Prices early in the season (November) average around Rs 60 a kg. Then it drops to Rs 45 a kg by the middle of the season (December/January) and later it quotes around Rs 50 to 60 as the season ends (February-March).

ORANGE MELA

As a step forward to develop farmer-centric business model, National Horticulture Board (NHB) and Karnataka Horticulture Department are holding an ‘Orange Mela’ in Bangalore from January 4 to 6, said Jagadeesha KG, Director of Horticulture.

For the mela, farmers from orange producing States such as Maharastra, Punjab, Rajasthan, a few States from North-East, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are taking part.

anil.u@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry / by Anil Urs / Bangalore, January 03rd, 2013

3 Indian Cuisines We Really Need To See More Of

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized


\Image: Sunith Shyam
1. Kodava
For a district that’s barely 4,000 sq km in size, Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka produces a surprisingly varied range of cuisine. Few mainland cuisines in India embrace pork as whole-heartedly as the Kodavas do, so it’s only fitting that the pandi curry—a rich, slow-cooked pork dish that takes its signature dark colour from a vinegar called kachumpuli—should be considered an icon, but it ends up overshadowing tangy, light fish curries, delicate vegetable stir-fries and endless variations of staples created with rice. Tickling all the taste buds, this is a cuisine that has made a firm imprint on Bangalore—in the past six years, the number of Kodava restaurants has grown from one to three—and is now ready to take on palates in the further reaches of the country.

2. Saoji
Chances are if you’ve heard of the Saoji style of cooking, you’re from Maharashtra. Born of the working classes, it’s only in recent years that the cuisine has stepped outside roadside shacks—Nagpur and Sholapur are dotted with no-frills Saoji bhojanalayas—and into more upmarket restaurants. Ear-buzzing, sweat-inducing fieriness is the primary distinguisher of this cuisine, along with liberal use of oil. There is little record of the evolution of Saoji cuisine but the spice levels possibly had something to do with the region’s dry heat and the perceived low quality of the offal that was often all the weaving communities were able to afford. Though Saoji mutton and chicken (dry and rassa are the two standard varieties) are the most popular dishes, vegetarian dishes are not unknown. Oh, and did I mention that critics and fans aver with one voice that the food is extremely tasty? Marketed intelligently, Saoji could well replace Andhra food as the go-to meal of choice for hot-heads.

3. Ahomiya

While narrowing down this list, one of the criteria was that the cuisine should be something of a will-o’-the-wisp, that is, familiar enough to be welcome and at enough of a remove to be enticing. For a Bengali, that cuisine is undoubtedly Ahomiya, with its river fish, wild greens, mustard oil balanced by a plethora of fermented and dried foods, exotic tribal ingredients like the pupa of the eri silkworm and red ant eggs, as also the kolkhar—traditionally the water filtered through the ashes of dried and charred banana skins that is now frequently replaced with baking soda—used in cooking the first dish of the Ahomiya thali, the khar. There are almost as many kinds of Ahomiya cooking as there are households, and it’d be a rare eatery that would be able to present all the micro-cuisines from the length and breadth of Assam. But this is a restaurant-ready repertoire, waiting to unfurl its wings beyond Assam House in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri.

Image: Neil McAllister / Alamy

http://www.forbesindia.com / Forbes India / Home> Life/Special / By Sumana Mukherjee / January 03rd, 2013

Showcase: Set the sands on fire

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

With its star line-up, Sunburn 2012 is a year-end treat for EDM fans.

Goa’s sultry beaches are set to pulsate to heady beats from some of the best names in electronic dance music (EDM). Yes, it’s time for Sunburn. This three-day festival has been a much awaited affair since its inception in 2007. Sunburn 2012 has a stellar line-up of performers including S.P.E.K.T.R.E, Nikhil Chinappa and Ma Faiza. Grammy award winner Paul Van Dyk headlines the fest while other showstoppers include Brian Transeau (BT), Jitter, Sashanti and Dutch heavyweights Sander van Doorn and Fedde Le Grand. The festival promises to be bigger and louder compared to earlier editions with more than 150,000 revellers expected to make a beeline to Candolim Beach. Seven stages will be spread over two grounds.

Presented by Micromax, Sunburn is organised by Percept Live, a division of Percept Limited. Shailendra Singh, Joint Managing Director, Percept Ltd., says, “The idea behind Sunburn was to create a sync between EDM and people; their love for music and life. With Sunburn, we have managed to create a ‘Glocal’ music property and brand.”

Asked about the USP of this fest, which is ranked as the ninth best festival in the world and has put India on the international music scene, Singh says, “Sunburn offers the best in EDM, access to world renowned artists, world class sets and stages, the magic of Goa and over a 100,000 music lovers soaking up the sun.”

The festival has thrown up some interesting talents like Jalebee Cartel and Midival Punditz. The ones to look out for this year, says Singh, are “Lost Stories, Sanjay Dutta and Arjun Vagale”. Sunburn encourages budding EDM artists through The Sunburn Anthem & Video Contest (SAVC).” This year the contest has been extended to 15 other countries. The contest has two components: Audio Remixing and VFX creation. The winning track will be featured on the Sunburn Anthem compilation along with acclaimed international and domestic artists.

Apart from the music, sun and sand, some trendy Sunburn merchandise, including the special Sunburn collection of ‘glow-in-the-dark’ flip flops from Havaianas, are also available for shoppers.

“Sunburn has always been about more than the music, it’s an experience. Where else can you get together with friends and meet new people, in the fresh air and with a beautiful soundtrack? Forget the hustle bustle of the city and for three days just… Live. Love. Dance.” Singh signs off.

Sunburn Festival 2012
Where: Candolim Beach, Goa

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Arts> Magazine / by Reshma S. Kulkarni / December 22nd, 2012

Game time

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Rohan Bopanna on brand promotion and tennis

“I am glad to be here today, at the unveiling of Rado’s HyperChrome Collection. I’m pleased that Rado is the new official timekeeper for the Aircel Chennai Open, and am happy to be launching its latest collection,” said well-known tennis player Rohan Bopanna. a watch from Rado’s HyperChrome Collection while playing at the Open. “Its light weight and sturdy. It’s a watch fit for all occasions.”

When asked how he felt on joining Andy Murray as the other tennis player to sport Rado’s HyperChrome, he said; “I’m honoured to have joined the list of international sportsmen and celebrities who have represented this brand.” On his thoughts about the upcoming Chennai Open, Bopanna said that he’s looking forward to it; but refused to answer any questions related to the game. He said he would be looking to start his new season on a positive note; and also revealed that he has a collection of around 32 watches from various watch manufacturers.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Life & Stylye> MetroPlus / by Ashwin Jacob / December 31st, 2012

Madikeri: Well-known Journalist Anil H T Bags Karavali Cultural Foundation Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Madikeri:
Anil H T, well-known journalist from here, has been nominated to receive the annual award instituted by Karavali Samskrutika Pratishthana, a Kerala-based cultural and literary forum for Kannada linguistic minority, which has been functioning in Kasaragod over the past 22 years.

The forum will hold a two-day meet in Kasaragod on Dec 29 and 30 in the form of Fifth Kerala State Kannada Conference. It will be observed as Kerala-Karnataka festival also.

Pratishthana president Shivaraya Kasaragod has said that Anil H T was chosen to receive the media award, in recognition of his commendable service in the field of print, electronic and radio media in the past 15 years.

Currently, Anil is the Kodagu district correspondent of Kannada Prabha, Udaya TV and Akashvani (All India Radio). In the past twelve years, he has bagged 20 state and district-level awards.

Kannada and culture department secretary Dr Manu Baligar will present the award to Anil at a function during the conference in Kasaragod on Dec 30.

source: http://www.mangalorean.com / Home / by Ashwini Appaiah & Fayaz Bovikan in Kasargod / Team Mangalorean – Madikeri / December 27th, 2012

Tech wiz is ‘Coorg person of the year’

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Science & Technology

Google offered to buy his company, which he turned down

Vineet Devaiah, founder of a technology company which is set to offer tough competition to the controversial ‘Google Street View’ project is ‘Coorg Person of the Year, 2012’.

In fact Google had offered to buy out his company TeliportMe, but the Cornell educated CEO of the Palo Alto California-based start-up refused the offer, though Vineet had many a sleepless nights before turning down the once in a lifetime chance because “once you have said no, you cannot go back and ask them again.”

According to well-known technology website techcrunch.com, the Google buyout offer was in the range of $15-20 million, though Vineet is not prepared to comment on the amount.

He was selected ‘Coorg Person of the Year’ in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal, promoted by senior journalist P T Bopanna, said a release from the jouranlist.

Vineet, 26, son of Theetira Subramani and Latha, hailing from Kutta in Kodagu district of Karnataka State, has developed an Android application which focusses on creating virtual tours using 360 degree panoramas. Users can not only capture high-resolution 360 views, but can also share their images on Facebook and Twitter.

New application

Vineet likens his new application TeliportMe to Google Street View. “It is what TeliportMe will be in the next 5 to 6 years. The only difference between the two companies is that Google is paying billions of dollars to create it and we are getting it done for free… It’s kind of Wikipedia or crowd source imagery by people,” he noted.

Among the others who were nominated for this year’s ‘Coorg Person of the Year 2012’, include Commonwealth Games badminton gold medalist Machimanda Ashwini Ponnappa and noted environmentalist Col C P Muthanna, who has been waging a relentless battle to save the Western Ghats from the forest mafia in Kodagu. said the release.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / Mysore, DHNS / December 30th, 2012

Rohan Bopanna keen to represent India again

Sports

New Delhi :
London Olympics selection controversy is a thing of past at least for Rohan Bopanna as the doubles ace is keen to wear the India cap again and represent the nation in the Davis Cup.

Bopanna and his then partner Mahesh Bhupathi were banned by All India Tennis Association (AITA) for not abiding by the selection decision for the Olympics although the court had stayed that decision later on.

India are set to take on South Korea in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie in February next year.

“What has been done in the past, it’s over and let us just look at the future and keep moving ahead. I mean tomorrow if I am called to represent India for the Davis Cup which I have always have said yes to, I will go ahead and represent India at the Davis Cup,” Bopanna said in an interview.

“There are a lot of things as a sportsperson you look back and could have taken some positives out of that. There are a lot of things which could have been better not said or done. It’s past. That’s been done and dusted.

“That’s over now and as a professional I believe we have all moved on from it. Now it’s time to concentrate on the future events with a new partner. 2012 is behind me,” said the 32-year-old Bangalorean.

Bopanna, who parted ways with his long-term mentor and doubles partner Bhupathi after the season-ending ATP Tour Finals last month, said that he will definitely “miss” him.

“He is the best doubles player out there in the world. No doubt, I have learnt a lot from him in my career not only as a partner but he also helped me, guided me right from the Challengers, Tour levels and Grand Slams. No doubt, he will be missed.”

“We had decided in the beginning of this year that we will be playing for a year since it’s been an Olympic year and at the US Open itself we decided that since I have few more years to go I need a partner who I can build a relationship with, try and get a solid partnership going. That’s the reason why we decided to change partners and see how it goes,” said Bopanna.

Bopanna, along with Bhupathi, had compiled an impressive 34-22 match record and 2-3 in finals, and in the past also teamed up with players like Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and American Eric Butorac.

Bopanna has decided to pair up with the US-based Rajeev Ram at the upcoming Chennai Open and for the 2013 season.

Asked about whom did he find as his best partner, Bopanna said, “My best results came with Aisam, reaching the finals of a Grand slam. This year with Mahesh also, we had a great end to the season winning the Paris Masters. I had a great success with them. Looking forward to take few positives from both the partnerships.”

Talking about Rajeev as his new partner on the ATP circuit, Bopanna said they have the potential to be one of the top doubles teams in the world.

“100 per cent. We both have big styles of game and definitely we both have what it takes to be top eight doubles team in the world,” he said.

“I am really looking forward to the new season. Rajeev and I have known each other for few years now. 2008 we played together at the Australian Open and reached the third round.

“He is technically a serve and volley player and his experience will definitely help in the doubles. He is a big guy, actually one inch taller than me also. His is a big big game. So, we both will complement each other playing together,” he added.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Sports> Tennis / by PTI / December 28th, 2012

Kodagu attracts Rs. 4,114.46 crore

Business & Economy

Kodagu has attracted Rs. 4,114.46 crore business investment at the Coorg Business Summit held in Madikeri on December 18, according to official information received here on Thursday.

Officials of the Industries Department in the district, who collated the statistics till December 26, said in Madikeri that 374 people had signed agreements with the government to invest on various sectors. A report to this effect was submitted to the State government by the Joint Director of the Department of Industries.

Investments

Of the investors, 179 firms were scheduled to invest on industries to the tune of Rs. 1,673.29 crore, 115 for tourism amounting to Rs. 1,339.41 crore, 18 in the field of medical service amounting to Rs. 768.15 crore and 17 persons in the field of education involving Rs. 175.70 crore.

Forty-five others have come forward to invest on other sectors involving Rs. 157.91 crore.

Organisers

The FKCCI, the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Kodagu District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Department of Industries and Commerce, who had expected investments in the range of Rs. 1,000 crore a year, had organised the Coorg Business Summit.

The summit was inaugurated by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysore, December 28th, 2012

2 RRBs in Karnataka amalgamated

Business & Economy

Bangalore , DEC. 28:
According to the directions of the Union Ministry of Finance’s Department of Financial Services, the Chikmagalur Kodagu Gramin Bank, a regional rural bank (RRB), sponsored by Corporation Bank, was amalgamated with Cauvery Kalpataru Grameena Bank, sponsored by State Bank of Mysore.

In a release to exchanges, Corporation Bank said the amalgamation comes into effect from November 1 vide notification.

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Home> Industry> Banking / by Hindu’s Bureau / Bangalore, December 28th, 2012