The Indian coffee would get a better price if we stop depending on foreign countries and start using more coffee products of Indian origin, said Central Coffee Research Centre Director Dr Y Raghuramulu.
He was speaking at a programme organised at the Navodaya Vidyalaya in town as part of the International Coffee Day celebrations on Thursday.
“In America, the average consumption of coffee by a person is four to five kg a year. In India, however, it is barely 100 gm. The consumption is increasing by six per cent every year,” he said and added that Brazil had created awareness among children about use of coffee about 10 years ago. “As a result, Brazil stands second in the list of countries that are the highest consumers of coffee in the world,” he said.
The International Coffee Organisation (ICO) has called upon all coffee-growing nations to celebrate Coffee Day on October 1 every year, to protect the interest of coffee growers and nations. “From next year onwards, the day would be celebrated with road shows and various other programmes,” he said.
‘Chicory is good’
Dr Raghuramulu claimed that chicory is good for health and a maximum of 49 per cent of chicory can be added to the coffee powder.
“The carbohydrate content of chicory makes the coffee a bit thicker. Chicory is usually grown in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and few other states. It is also used in the production of biscuits,” he said.
In his inaugural speech, Sahyadri Coffee Growers’ Association President M S Sundaresh Gowda said that the imagination behind Coffee Day would help the growers. The market for coffee can be extended by creating awareness about the drink in North India, he added.
Meanwhile, ‘Coffee Karma’, a 20-minute documentary on the birth of coffee was screened at Navodaya Vidyalaya hall. An exhibition was held as a part of Coffee Day on different coffee species, possible diseases, pesticides and other things. More than 1,500 people watched the documentary and free coffee was served to all.
Balehonnur JCI President Dayakar N Suvarna, Navodaya Vidyalaya Principal K Rameereddy, Coffee Board scientists were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Balehonnur / DHNS – October 02nd, 2015
