Grown in Koraput, sold as brand ‘Andhra Coffee’

TDCCOL procurement target hit

- POST NEWS NETWORK

Koraput coffee, which has earned international acclaim, is allegedly being diverted and sold by middlemen from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh due to official apathy in marketing and procurement, sources said.

The district administration and the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Ltd. (TDCCOL), responsible for supporting growers and marketing the produce, have been accused of neglecting their duties, allowing Andhra Pradesh-based traders to gain control of the trade. Asa result, middlemen are reportedly buying coffee berries directly from farmers in Koraput and routing them out of the state.

TDCCOL has fixed the procurement price at 105 per kg for coffee berries, with payments made to farmers a few days later through the NEFT system. However, traders from Andhra Pradesh are allegedly offering about 5 more per kg and purchasing berries clandestinely from areas such as Golur, Padua, Chatua and Kulabir in Nandapur block, as well as Lamtaput, Semiliguda, Dasamantapur, Laxmipur and Koraput blocks.