Category Archives: Records, All

Coffee trade goes live on blockchain platform

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Records, All, World Opinion
The initiative was announced by Suresh Prabhu, Union minister for commerce and industry, in Delhi in September, 2018. Mint
The initiative was announced by Suresh Prabhu, Union minister for commerce and industry, in Delhi in September, 2018. Mint

– The project was announced by Suresh Prabhu, minister for commerce
and industry, in Delhi last September

– The blockchain platform will allow a coffee producer to directly
transact with multiple buyers.

The Coffee Board on Thursday launched the pilot of the country’s first blockchain-based marketplace app for trading in Indian coffee, aimed at getting growers better returns by removing myriad middlemen.

Known as the Coffee Blockchain initiative, the pilot was activated simultaneously by Jose Dauster Sette, executive director of the International Coffee Organisation from Nairobi and Anup Wadhawan, India’s commerce secretary from New Delhi.

The project was announced by Suresh Prabhu, minister for commerce and industry, in Delhi last September. So, why did it take six months for the project to go live?

“There were more than 20 stakeholders from three different countries. We had to get all of them on board, and then test the platform. We believe this is perhaps only the third attempt at a coffee blockchain after France and Ethiopia,” said Srivatsa Krishna, chief executive officer and secretary of the Coffee Board, a government organisation tasked with promoting Indian coffee.

The blockchain platform will allow a coffee producer to directly transact with multiple buyers.

In India, coffee is cultivated in about 454,000 hectares by 366,000 coffee farmers — 98% of them small farmers — whose returns are meagre. Krishna said the aim of using blockchain is to “premium-ise” coffee, add “bean-to-cup traceability” and cut the role of middlemen.

The blockchain-based solution was developed in coordination with Eka Software Solutions. Manav Garg, the company’s CEO and founder, said the idea of using blockchain is to “record the first smart contract on a blockchain with the 20-odd stakeholders, and establish trust in the marketplace”.

“With this activation, we are confident that the Coffee Board of India will help the Indian coffee trade make more inroads into the premium market internationally and make India one of the top three coffee producers in the world,” Garg added.

Krishna said the Coffee Board is also “testing” blockchain-based solutions from a couple of other vendors but added that “the one from Eka Software was the most suitable at this moment”.

Blockchain is no longer a technology that is just about powering cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether. A distributed digital ledger technology (DLT), it is also being used by manufacturing companies to improve their supply chains; by healthcare and electricity companies; and by the financial sector to make transactions more transparent.

source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Explore / by Leslie D’Monte / March 29th, 2019

Five coffee varieties get GI tag

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All, World Opinion
Global praise: Tribal women harvesting organic coffee on a plantation near Girliguda in Araku, Visakhapatnam.The Araku Valley coffee which is processed and marketed with the help of the tribal farmers cooperative society recently won the gold medal for the best coffee pod in the Prix Epicures OR 2018 Award in Paris. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak
Global praise: Tribal women harvesting organic coffee on a plantation near Girliguda in Araku, Visakhapatnam.The Araku Valley coffee which is processed and marketed with the help of the tribal farmers cooperative society recently won the gold medal for the best coffee pod in the Prix Epicures OR 2018 Award in Paris. | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

The government on Friday said it has awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to five varieties of Indian coffee including Coorg Arabica.

The move is expected to help the growers get maximum price for their premium produce.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has recently awarded this tag to — Coorg Arabica coffee from Karnataka, Wayanad Robusta coffee from Kerala, Chikmaglur Arabica from Karnataka, Araku Valley Arabica from Andhra Pradesh, and Bababudangiris Arabica coffee from Karnataka.

The Araku coffee is produced by the tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they emphasise management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices, the ministry said in a statement.

Similarly, it said, Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation.

In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectare by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98 per cent are small farmers.

Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the southern states of India including Karnataka, which accounts for 54 per cent of the total production. It is followed by Kerala (19 per cent), Tamil Nadu (eight per cent).

It is also grown in non-traditional areas such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2 per cent) and North East states (1.8 per cent).

India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried, it said adding the country produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats, which are the two major bio-diversity hotspots in the world. Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and sold as premium coffee in Europe.

“The recognition and protection that comes with GI certification will allow the coffee producers of India to invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in that particular region. It will also enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee,” it added.

A Geographical Indication (GI) is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.

Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina are among the registered GIs in India.

Experts said that award of GI tag gives protection to the producer of those genuine products, which commands premium pricing in the markets both domestic and international.

“Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product,” National Intellectual Property Organisation (NIPO) President T.C. James said.

Such products also get premium pricing in the markets, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by PTI / New Delhi – March 29th, 2019

Science expo brings students’ skills to fore

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
Students of the Mechanical Engineering Department of SDM College, Ujire, showcase their innovation - a coconut dehusking machine - during ‘Anveshane-19’, the state-level exhibition organised by Halligattu Coorg Institute of Technology in Gonikoppa.
Students of the Mechanical Engineering Department of SDM College, Ujire, showcase their innovation – a coconut dehusking machine – during ‘Anveshane-19’, the state-level exhibition organised by Halligattu Coorg Institute of Technology in Gonikoppa.

Scientific technology was put to useful applications by the students of various technical institutes during ‘Anveshane-19’, the state-level exhibition organised by Halligattu Coorg Institute of Technology in Gonikoppa recently.

Around 400 students from the branches of civil, electronics and communication, computer science and mechanical engineering from various polytechnic colleges across the state took part in the event.

Several innovations displayed at the scientific expo featured devices which enable surveillance, remote access and management through mobile phones.

A machine capable of dehusking 260 coconuts in an hour was developed by the mechanical engineering team of SDM College, Ujire. Another team from the same college came up with a solution to plastic waste by designing interlocks out of plastic waste.

A milling machine made by Kaveri Polytechnic College, Gonikoppa, was developed to carve letters on hard substances. Kurunji Venkataramana Gowda College, Sullia, students designed an automatic jumper system, which makes use of mobile technology to easily identify the problems in electric lines.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Districts / by DH News Service, Gonikoppa / March 22nd, 2019

Nodal Officers For Postal Ballots

Records, All

NodalOfficersKF28mar2019

Mysuru:

Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, who is also the District Electoral Officer, has appointed Nodal Officers for Mysuru-Kodagu LS Constituency, to facilitate Electoral Officers and staff to cast their votes through Postal Ballots.

The details are as follows: Tourism Department Deputy Director H.P. Janardhan has been appointed as District Nodal Officer, Mob: 96119-21927.

Madikeri Assembly segment – Shamsuddin, Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR), Mob: 98862-69299 and Gayathri, Madikeri Block Education Officer, Mob: 94806-95260.

Virajpet Assembly segment – H.D. Lokesh, Head Master, Government High School, Byrambada – Chembebellur, Mob: 99803-98152; Periyapatna segment – Baby, Lecturer, S.K.S.T. Government Girls PUC College, Mob: 84536-24343.

Hunsur segment – S.P. Nagaraj, Hunsur Block Education Officer, Mob: 94806-95303; Chamundeshwari segment – Ratnambika, Grade-2 Tahsildar, Mysuru Taluk; Krishnaraja segment – M.R. Nagarathna, Assistant Director, MCC City Planning section, Mob: 73382-43893; Chamaraja segment – Bharath Kumar, MCC Development Officer, Zone-8, Mob: 78924-81685; Narasimharaja segment – Harsha, MCC Development Officer, Zone-9, Mob: 94482-08147.

The DC has also appointed Exclusive Postal Nodal Officers, the details of which are as follows: Madikeri and Virajpet Assembly segment – Vishalakshi, Assistant Post Master; Periyapatna segment – V.S. Vanitha, Post Master Grade-1; Hunsur segment – P.M. Naveen Kumar, Post Master Grade-2, Chamundeshwari segment – R.P. Pratima, Post Master Grade-1, Krishnaraja segment – N. Vishwanath, Post Master Grade-1; Chamaraja – R.M. Johnson, Post Master Grade-1; Narasimharaja – Vijay of Head Post Office, Mysuru.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 2019

ASI finally takes up repair of Old Fort in Madikeri

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All
Workers cover the damaged part of Madikeri Old Fort with concrete mixture.
Workers cover the damaged part of Madikeri Old Fort with concrete mixture.

The Archaeological Survey of India has awoken from its deep slumber and has taken up the repair of the historic Old Fort in Madikeri when the rainy season is approaching.

The Old Fort is being repaired from the past week at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. The Old Fort which is covered by shrubs was in a dilapidated condition.

There was seepage of water during the rainy season. In order to protect the monument, the cracks on the wall of the fort are being filled with concrete.

Workers who have revived forts in Mysuru and Chitradurga are carrying out the repair work. The work is carried out in such a way that the original design of the wall is kept intact.

Also, the waste littered around the Balamandira nearby is being cleared. Seepage of water near Kote Ganapathy Temple is being rectified. During the past year, iron bars were installed at a cost of lakhs of rupees to protect the fort.

During the natural disaster which struck the district last year, the palace and the fort around the palace were damaged.

Many organisations such as Green City Forum urged for the repair of the fort and the palace.

District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh had held a meeting with ASI officer Murtheeshwari in this regard and had asked the department concerned to initiate necessary steps to conserve the fort.

Currently, only the fort wall is being repaired. The department officials said that the entire premise has not been handed over to the ASI and therefore the repair of the palace could not be taken up with the available funds. Also, the offices of various government departments in the Old Palace need to be shifted to the new building.

The roof of the palace had collapsed in January. The walls of the palace are discoloured and the rooms where the soldiers once stayed had completely collapsed.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service / Madikeri – March 25th, 2019

Bangalore Kodava Samaja Distributes Cheques To Kodagu Flood Victims

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Uncategorized

KodavaSamajaKF27mar2019

Bengaluru:

In a noble gesture, Kodava Samaja Bangalore had organised an event yesterday where relief cheques were disbursed to victims of floods and landslides whose lives were torn apart in the natural disaster that ravaged some parts of Kodagu last year. In all, cheques worth Rs. 2.65 crore were distributed to 355 flood victims.

Speaking to Star of Mysore over the phone, President of Bangalore Kodava Samaja Mukkatira T. Nanaiah said that the Kodava Samaja had constituted Kodava Samaja Flood Relief Fund and they had identified the victims through a committee and screened them for relief fund assistance.

“We had also invited applications from the victims and we had constituted an independent survey team to visit each victim’s house to assess the damage. The list of beneficiaries was prepared after a thorough assessment and survey and all the communities – Kodavas and non-Kodavas were included in the list,” he said.

Relief cheques were distributed to victims and the money was decided depending on the extent of damage. “We have distributed cheques from Rs. 30,000 and in excess of Rs. 2 lakh depending on the damage they have sustained,” Nanaiah said.

Kodava Samaja sources said that more than 500 people including non applicants had attended the event. “We have collected all applications and will look into the possibility of distributing compensation to them,” sources said.

The cheque disbursement ceremony was led by Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kodandera Arjun Muthanna, President of Kodava Samaja Flood Relief Fund and was presided over by Kodava Samaja President Mukkatira T. Nanaiah. Kodira Kavya Pratap Somanna rendered a prayer, Kodava Samaja Secretary Chiriyapanda Suresh Nanjappa welcomed and Samaja Vice President Mallengada Meera Jalajakumar proposed a vote of thanks.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 2019

Starbucks Opens India’s Largest Coffee Forward Store in Bangalore

Coffee News, Records, All

New store invites customers to embark upon a unique experiential coffee journey Bangalore, Karnataka

Tata Starbucks announced the opening of its largest coffee forward store in Bangalore at 38/1st, Vittal Mallya Road.

The Starbucks store at Vittal Mallya Road will welcome its customers with a promise of delivering the iconic ‘Third Place’ experience while stewarding the company’s commitment to the community.

The Vittal Mallya store marks Starbucks 140th store in India and 22nd store in Bangalore. “We are pleased to introduce our customers in Bangalore to a unique sensorial coffee experience while showcasing our expertise, craft and passion for all things coffee.

The Starbucks store at Vittal Mallya celebrates every aspect of the coffee journey – the bean, grind, brewing styles, and the skills of our Coffee Masters. The store’s design and curated offerings reflect Starbucks legacy of coffee leadership,” said Mr. Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd. “Customers can seek out Starbucks Coffee Masters for their coffee expertise to discover a new favorite beverage or a pairing suggestion. The different brewing methods offered at the store give us an opportunity to engage with our customers as they explore new ways to enjoy coffee. The store offers customers a place where they can relax and share conversations as well as immerse themselves into an artisanal coffee experience.”

The store features two separate bars – an espresso bar and a separate brew bar.

At the heart of the espresso bar lies the state-of-the-art Black Eagle which allows the skill of the Starbucks baristas to come alive as each partner manually creates a customized and perfect shot of espresso.

The Brew Bar offers customers a range of other brewing techniques. For example, the Siphon, which is known to bring out the intense flavours of the coffee, uses halogen to boil water and move the coffee through the vertical chambers, whereas the Chemex®, a manual pour-over brewing method, pours into a perfectly balanced cup of coffee.

The store pays tribute to the coffee culture of the city by offering an extensive range of specially curated Starbucks beverages, including Sparkling Shaken Espresso with Mint, Cortado, Hazelnut Bianco Latte amongst other Starbucks signature beverages.

The store also offers a first for Starbucks in India with an affogato station, where coffee craft meets ice-cream to create a range of unique beverages including Signature Affogato, Cold Brew Malt, Nitro Cold brew float and Cold Brew float.

The store’s exclusive food menu was curated to complement the coffee experience and features a range of light bites, holistic meals and desserts such as Griilled cottage cheese with pepperonata sauce, The classic breakfast, Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche among many other Starbucks signature food.

An extensive collection of Teavana Teas is also available at the store.

Sitting amid one of the most upscale and premium neighborhoods in the city of Bangalore, the Starbucks store on the Vittal Mallya junction is an invitation to coffee lovers for a quiet escape. Signature beverages are presented at the center part of our ground floor, where a separated brew bar offers a theater for Starbucks baristas to interact with the customers.

The coffee aroma inspires the waved appearance of the core bar, while the shape of the brew bar resembles the curves of a coffee bean. Motif etching on the back wall is inspired by the intriguing tribal art style of Kalamkari in Southern India, integrating stories of coffee farms and the natural, botanical environment. The Kalamkari artwork displays intricate trees, expressive characters, animals and huts to tell the Starbucks coffee journey.

As Tata Starbucks continues to grow, so does its commitment to be a positive force in contributing to the future success of India.

The company announced last fall its aspirations to be the employer of choice in India, with plans to double the number of partners (employees) over the next five years to 3,000 and with a commitment to further increase the proportion of women in its workforce from an already industry best of 25 percent.

PWR PWR
source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The News Scroll/ March 20th, 2019 . (via press release -Business Wire India)

Bopanna’s Master Blend: Tennis & Coffee

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
© Rohan Bopanna Rohan Bopanna has his own blend of The Flying Squirrel Coffee called 'Rohan Bopanna's Master Blend

© Rohan Bopanna
Rohan Bopanna has his own blend of The Flying Squirrel Coffee called ‘Rohan Bopanna’s Master Blend

Learn about Bopanna’s off-court success

Rohan Bopanna has served plenty of aces in his career. But the Indian doubles star also serves something else on the ATP Tour: coffee expertise.

“When I go to the tournaments, everybody comes to me and says, “Rohan, this is bad coffee!’ Bopanna said, cracking a laugh. “I say, ‘I’m sorry but I can’t do anything with it’!”

Bopanna is more than just a coffee connoisseur. The 39-year-old, currently No. 36 in the ATP Doubles Rankings, has his own line of The Flying Squirrel coffee: Rohan Bopanna’s Master Blend.

“To be honest, the coffee came first, before my tennis. That’s something which has been part of the family. We grow coffee, hence the coffee love came,” Bopanna said. “I’ve been through the whole process of how it works, how the plants grow. Now I’m learning so much more about getting the right blend, roasting the coffee and everything from the past three years. But the growing part I’ve always known how to grow the coffee and all of that goes back to my childhood.”

Bopanna’s family estate, home of their coffee plantation, is in Coorg, a district in the state of Karnataka, in southwest India. When the former No. 3 doubles player in the world was growing up, his father had not started a coffee company — they simply sold beans to those who were interested in buying. But nevertheless, it’s been a part of his life as long as he can remember.

“Me being the only son, I feel there is an opportunity for me to go back whenever I’m done [with tennis] to take care of that plantation,” Bopanna said. “This [venture] was something added on, something different and yes, of course, I would love to still be very much part of it. One of the reasons I started now is that with tennis, obviously [my life] as a player is going to end one day. There’s something more to look for and coffee’s been a pure love from the beginning, so why not continue with it?”

Not only does Bopanna get to share his work with other players on the ATP Tour, but by travelling the world, he gets to try different blends every week. The 18-time tour-level titlist does bring his own beans and filter on the road with him, though.

“Tennis takes us to some beautiful cities, where automatically I get to taste all the greatest coffees,” Bopanna said. “Australia has some great coffee places. Even last week I was in Phoenix, Arizona. I was in the old town of Scottsdale and that had exceptional coffee places at the different cafes.

“Tennis has given me an opportunity to taste different coffees and hopefully take that experience to improve Indian coffee more.”

BopannaCoffee02KF22mar2019

While it is as catchy as hot shots you see on the court, one may wonder where the name of the company — ‘The Flying Squirrel’ — came from.

“The family friend who I tied up with, at the estate, we have flying squirrels there,” Bopanna said. “When I started my blend, I thought the best way was to tie [my line] up with his [brand] since they already have the roasters and everything… to start everything from scratch would have been tough, hence the name ‘The Flying Squirrel’.”

While Bopanna takes his coffee seriously, he’s certainly not done on the court yet. At this week’s Miami Open presented by Itau, Bopanna is competing alongside #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov. The Indian also played with Shapovalov at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

“The idea is to obviously try and do well in these big tournaments, big Masters series events. That’s the key,” Bopanna said. “I’m at a stage that when I play these tournaments, I’m looking to obviously do well and try to win the tournament. You’ve been on the [ATP] Tour for such a long time. You know every player out there, you know what to expect and you’re going there to try to win the tournament.”

As Bopanna continues to try to make his mark on the court, he’s trying to win over his colleagues’ taste buds, too.

“Indian coffee I feel has really grown in a big way in India and I feel we can really bring it out to the world to try to experience it. I feel the best way for me is to try to use my tennis platform to give a lot of my homegrown coffee to all the tennis players who love coffee,” Bopanna said. “I’ve gotten great feedback from all these players who have tried it and enjoyed it so far. It’s something very, very different, and I enjoy doing it.”

source: http://www.atptour,com / ATP Tour / Home> News / by Andrew Eichenholz / March 22nd, 2019

Defence Investiture Ceremony II – C.P. Cariappa

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

New Delhi:

President Ram Nath Kovind presents Ati Vishisht Seva Medal to Major General Codanada Poovaiah Cariappa during Defence Investiture Ceremony – II at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, on March 19, 2019.

CariappaKF23mar2019

source: http://www.prokerala.com / ProKerala.com / Home> Latest News / March 19th, 2019

‘Kodava community should be accorded tribal status’

About Kodagu / Coorg, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All

KodavaTribalsKF22mar2019

The Kodava community should be accorded tribal status in recognition of the unique customs of the Kodavas, Prof Balveer Arora, Political Science professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, has urged.

He was addressing the gathering at a seminar on the study of Kodava genealogy on account of the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination organised on Thursday at the Capital Village Auditorium in Madikeri.

Prof Arora welcomed the move of the government to conduct a study of the genealogy of Kodavas. The study will facilitate the conservation of Kodava heritage, he stressed.

He observed that the culture and tradition of the Kodava community, had a close resemblance to those of tribals.

“The government should consider the demands submitted at regular intervals by the tribal population. The demands are just and should be implemented by the government,” he said and added, “Kodava population has been dwindling in the recent years due to sociopolitical reasons.”

He also stressed that it is necessary to preserve the community.

Codava National Council (CNC) president N U Nachappa said that the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (KSTRI) in Mysuru had been conducting a study of the genealogy of Kodavas for the last 72 years. He also urged the members of the Kodava community to extend full cooperation to the researchers from the Institute.

The Social Welfare Department has released grants to carry out the study, he added.

M T Nanaiah, president of the Kodava Samaja, Bengaluru, said that the Samaja will provide assistance to the survey. An awareness programme will be organised on the survey, he added. “Around one lakh members of the Kodava community reside in the district. There is a misconception that all Kodavas are affluent,” said Nanaiah. “The fact is that there are many Kodavas who are poor and have no access to government facilities,” he added. Dr Madhusudan of KSTRI and Kodava Samaja president K S Devaiah were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service / Madikeri – March 22nd, 2019