Nandapur: Koraput coffee, which has earned international acclaim, is allegedly being diverted and sold by middlemen from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh due to official apathy in marketing and procurement, sources said.
The district administration and the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Ltd. (TDCCOL), responsible for supporting growers and marketing the produce, have been accused of neglecting their duties, allowing Andhra Pradesh-based traders to gain control of the trade. As a result, middlemen are reportedly buying coffee berries directly from farmers in Koraput and routing them out of the state. TDCCOL has fixed the procurement price at Rs 105 per kg for coffee berries, with payments made to farmers a few days later through the NEFT system. However, traders from Andhra Pradesh are allegedly offering about Rs 5 more per kg and purchasing berries clandestinely from areas such as Golur, Padua, Chatua and Kulabir in Nandapur block, as well as Lamtaput, Semiliguda, Dasamantapur, Laxmipur and Koraput blocks. Some traders have also set up temporary processing units in Nandapur block.
After procuring and processing the beans, they allegedly brand the produce as “Andhra Coffee” and sell it in international markets, triggering resentment among local stakeholders. Officials said TDCCOL’s plan to procure 100 metric tonnes of coffee beans has been affected by the diversion. Nandapur block alone has 1,785 women self-help groups (SHGs), while the district has more than 20,000 such groups.
Intellectuals have questioned why these groups are not being engaged in village-level procurement and marketing to ensure better returns for growers and protect the Koraput Coffee brand. Coffee is cultivated on nearly 7,000 hectares across the Nandapur, Lamtaput, Koraput, Semiliguda, Dasamantapur and Laxmipur blocks using funds from the Coffee Board, the district watershed project and the MGNREGS scheme, official sources said.
Of the total area, more than 5,000 hectares fall under government revenue and forest land. After shade plantations were raised, coffee saplings were distributed to farmers for individual and group cultivation, with the aim of ensuring sustainable income through coffee sales. Experts said the district’s soil and climate, owing to its high altitude, are well-suited for coffee cultivation and produce superior-quality beans.
However, Koraput coffee is reportedly being sold in international markets under the “Andhra Coffee” label. Coffee plantations in Andhra Pradesh have suffered damage due to berry borer infestation, leading to a decline in production.
As a result, traders from the neighbouring state have reportedly become active in Koraput to procure berries from local farmers. Recently, coffee growers from Golur and Khudub villages raised concerns over trade and marketing issues with Nandapur Block Development Officer (BDO) Durga Prasad Dora. It has also come to light that Andhra Pradesh traders have set up a temporary coffee processing unit in Champaput village, alarming local farmers. Koraput TDCCOL has been assigned a target of procuring 100 metric tonnes of coffee beans by January 10, district TDCCOL officer Ashutosh Nanda said.
So far, about 40 metric tonnes of coffee berries have been procured. Nanda said TDCCOL purchases only fully ripe berries, but many farmers bring mixed lots of ripe and unripe berries, which are rejected. Those rejected lots are allegedly being bought by Andhra Pradesh traders, he said. Sources alleged that middlemen have since reduced prices and are buying coffee berries from farmers at around Rs 95 per kg, pulping and drying the produce before illegally transporting hundreds of bags of coffee beans to Andhra Pradesh. Koraput Coffee Board Deputy Director Sachidananda Swain said he would discuss the issue with the District Collector and TDCCOL authorities and submit a separate proposal to streamline procurement and marketing of coffee berries in the district.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
