Steps being taken to promote Araku coffee: Chief Secretary

State Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy has stated that measures are being taken to promote Araku coffee grown in the Araku region, in particular Alluri Seetharamaraju, Parvathipuram, and Manyam districts. He reviewed Araku coffee cultivation, marketing facilities, and other issues with the officials of the concerned department on Wednesday.
Dr Jawahar Reddy instructed the officials to immediately prepare and send a project report for the establishment of a mega processing unit locally so that the coffee crop can be processed in the same way as the Groundnut and tomato processing units have been established in the Rayalaseema area. He said that measures should be taken to tie up with many multinational companies like Tata to market the cultivated crop nationally and internationally.
T Vijaya Kumar Nature Farming Secretary said that talks will be held with various organizations to provide national and international marketing facilities for Araku coffee. He also advised the concerned authorities to immediately prepare a project report for the establishment of a mega processing unit locally.
Sumeeth Kumar, district collector Alluri Sitaramaraju gave a PowerPoint presentation on Araku coffee cultivation, area, processing, marketing, etc. through a video link and said that at present Araku coffee is being cultivated in an area of more than one lakh acres. He explained that Araku coffee is currently being grown in 11 mandals, GCC is buying the crop from tribal farmers and selling it in the form of packets, cans, etc. through retail marketing stores across the state.
J Ventaka Murali, Director of the Tribal Welfare Department, and many officials of the Tribal Welfare Department participated in this meeting, while GCC VC and MD Suresh Kumar, Parvathipuram Manyam District Collector Nishanth Kumar, State Food Sanitation Organisation CEO L. Sridhar Reddy and others participated through video link.