Visakhapatnam: The ASR district administration is encouraging coffee farmers to sell their produce directly, without middlemen, and would set up coffee Rythu Bazaars to support the farmers.
District collector Dinesh Kumar said farmers who join the initiative would receive machinery and equipment at a 30 per cent subsidy on the unit cost. He said, “All traders involved in the coffee business must hold a valid coffee trade registration certificate.”
Legal action would follow in cases of non-compliance. The quality of Araku coffee would not be compromised under any circumstances, he stressed. The administration would ensure stable pricing for Araku coffee and strengthen its presence in international markets.
Directions to these effects were issued during an awareness and interaction programme held on Monday with coffee farmers, traders, FPOs, and NGOs.
The collector said, “If all coffee traders in the district form an association, it will be legalised, enabling them to conduct business collectively.” Such an association would help maintain stable pricing for quality produce, he said, and called for the supply of parchment that meets international standards.
He stressed the need for high-quality practices from fruit collection to processing.
With berry borer pest issues expected to surface in the Araku and Dumbriguda mandals, the collector advised farmers to take proper precautions during collection, pulping and drying. He directed the Coffee Board to share pest-control videos regularly.
Check posts, he said, will be set up to curb the movement of illegal crops. Agriculture staff, ITDA teams and revenue officials would conduct continuous monitoring. Government-issued permission documents are mandatory for transporting coffee crops.
He warned that consignments with out proper permissions would be seized.
The collector asked the Paderu ITDA project officer to install digital weighing machines in coordination with the GCC and ITDA to prevent fraud at markets and procurement centres. He asked the officer to complete the construction of two eco-pulping units in G Madugula and GK Veedhi mandals by next year.
A food processing park would be established in Chintapalli to support FPOs and interested enterprises. During the meeting, ITDA project officer Thirumana Sripooja said coffee fruits would be procured through the GCC. He urged farmers to approach the purchasing centres.
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