GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee

#The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently awarded Geographical Indication (GI) to five varieties of Indian coffee.

Coffees with GI Tag

#Coorg Arabica coffee – it is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

#Wayanaad Robusta coffee – it is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.

#Chikmagalur Arabica coffee – it is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau, belongs to the Malnad region of Karnataka.

#Araku Valley Arabica coffee – can be described as coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL.

#Bababudangiris Arabica coffee – it is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India and the region is situated in the central portion of Chikmagalur district.

What is a GI tag?

#A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation by virtue of their geographical association.

#The tag conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to the geographical origin of the product.

#The owner of the GI tag has exclusive rights over the product.

Coffee Cultivation in India

#In India, coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares by 3.66 lakh coffee farmers of which 98% are small farmers. Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the Southern States of India:

#Karnataka – 54%

#Kerala – 19%

#Tamil Nadu – 8%

#Coffee is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).

#India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.

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