Nusli Wadia-owned Bombay Burmah Trading Company (BBTC) is considering developing a few coffee estates as holiday destinations.

The move comes after Tata Coffee’s success in operating ‘Plantation Trails’ utilising its estate bungalows in Kodagu, Hassan and Chikamaglur in Karnataka.

Kodagu district in the recent past has become a holiday destination.

Tata Group company Indian Hotels Company Ltd, has set up a Vivanta by Taj property at Madikeri in that district. Mahindra Holidays has set up Club Mahindra Kodagu Valley in the region.

The area has turned into a major wellness and nature tourism destination, with all the major groups eying coffee growing districts.

Shruti Shibulal, daughter of Infosys co-founder and CEO S.D. Shibulal, has also launched a 30-room boutique resort, The Tamara Coorg, in Kodagu.

“Keeping all these developments in the neighbourhood, the company is looking to tap additional revenues by developing a few coffee estates,” a senior BBTC official said.

“Currently, we are examining various options for developing a small part of the coffee estate at Coorg (officially known as Kodagu) as a holiday destination.” BBTC is also examining various options to develop the real estate at its properties at Kanjur Marg in Mumbai and in Coimbatore.

OUTSOURCED COFFEE

Outsourced coffee, wherein the company buys beans from small and marginal growers in the region and sells them along with its own produce, is boosting BBTC’s bottom-line. The company’s sales volume rose 46.28 per cent to 2,399 tonnes in 2012-13.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by Anil Urs anil.u@thehindu.co.in / Bangalore – September 06th, 2013