Koraput: In a bid to boost the tribal economy and enhance the market value of processed coffee, the Koraput district administration in association with the Coffee Board has distributed baby pulpers to beneficiaries, officials said.
Baby coffee pulpers, also known as portable pulping machines, are used for wet processing of coffee and the extract which comes out from it is called plantation or parchment coffee.
“At present, over 70 per cent of coffee is processed through traditional dry method in Koraput district which decreases the market value of the beverage. In this method, coffee beans are dried in sunlight,” said Ajit Kumar Rout, senior liaison officer, Coffee Board. “Through wet processing, the market value of coffee increases about 55 per cent more than the dry method,” added Rout.
To begin with, 20 such pulping machines have been distributed among tribal beneficiaries of the district Friday, officials said Sunday.
Koraput Collector Madhusudan Mishra said, baby pulpers will not only improve the quality of the variety of coffee grown in Koraput but also improve the economic condition of the tribal people engaged in coffee processing.
“When the market value of the coffee increases, it will fetch good price in the market which will subsequently improve the financial condition of the tribals engaged in coffee processing,” informed Mishra.
According to a departmental survey, as climatic condition of the Koraput district is conducive for coffee plantation, it has been found that at least 1.45 lakh hectares of land are is suitable for coffee plantation.
Currently, only 1,467 hectare of land is under coffee plantation in the district, informed another official.
PTI
