Vishakhapatnam: Deputy Chief Minister Peedika Rajanna Dora on Friday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 3-crore integrated coffee processing unit at Downuru village in Koyyuru mandal of ASR district.
This is the first time that a public sector organisation in the country is setting up a coffee processing unit.
YSRC regional coordinator Y.V. Subba Reddy, local MLAs K. Bhagyalakshmi and Chetti Palguna, MP G. Madhavi and ZP chairperson J. Subhadra were present.
The coffee processing unit will have machinery with latest technology. The machinery will refine, roast, grind and pack coffee. Establishment of the unit will provide employment to the tribal jobless youth of the region, Rajanna Dora said.
Coffee plantations have come up in 11 mandals of Paderu agency area covering more than one lakh acres. The coffee grown by tribals is being marketed through tribal cooperatives.
GCC is selling refined and graded Arabica parchment coffee and Arabica cherry coffee through e-auction. The proceeds are being directly credited to the bank accounts of tribal farmers.
So far, GCC has relied on the coffee curing unit operated by Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation at Narsipatnam for processing the raw coffee beans collected from tribal coffee growers.
For adding value to the coffee grown by tribals, GCC has added filter and instant coffee in its products under the name of Araku Valley Coffee. This coffee is being sold through the retail market.
The organic certified coffee grown by 2,600 tribal farmers in Chintapalli and G.K. Veedhi mandals are specially refined and exported to foreign countries, thereby providing higher income to tribals.
