Problems and prospects of coffee marketing and incomes of tribal farmers in Visakhapatnam and Koraput Districts

Of late, the coffee growing has become a significant income source for the tribal farmers of the selected districts of Visakhapatnam and Koraput and the living standards of the marginal and small peasants are shifted to higher stratum. The existing vulnerable marketing factors are to be plugged up in the study area. The Coffee Board and the concerned state governments may consider the non-price factors for the welfare of the coffee farmers. The GCC may reorganise itself to cover all the peasants in the concerned area. A single ‘Platform Auction Hall’ is the basic redressal for the relieving from some of the market maladies, as the national market centre, ‘Hassan Market’ is far distant (1200 km.). The ‘Authorised Market Controlling agency’ from the Department of Agricultural Marketing is to be established to observe the purchases of the middlemen. There is a need for the value addition training and infrastructural support to the coffee growers, and this will enable the farmers to receive the additional income. Moreover, the geo-indicator ‘Arku Coffee’ enhances certainly the organic certification and value addition endeavours. It is better to establish ‘Community Coffee Growing Counselling Centres’ with the support of the local self-help groups in the villages to have a good guidance.