MUMBAI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- India has awarded geographical indication (GI) tag to five varieties of coffee, said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday.
These include Coorg Arabica coffee grown in Kodagu district, Chikmagalur Arabica coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica coffee in Chikmagalur district, all in Karnataka state.
The other two includes Wayanad Robusta coffee grown in Wayanad district in Kerala and Araku valley coffee in Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region, said the ministry in a release.
Earlier, the Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification.
In India, coffee is cultivated in about 454,000 hectares of land by 366,000 coffee farmers, of whom 98 percent are small farmers in the southern states.
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, the release said.
Earlier this week, the commerce ministry launched blockchain based coffee e-marketplace to integrate the farmers with markets in a transparent manner by reducing the number of layers between coffee growers and buyers leading to fair price realization for the coffee producer.
