Delhiites can now savour Koraput coffee, with the Odisha government opening an outlet at Odisha Niwas in Chanakyapuri.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the outlet on Wednesday.
Koraput coffee is currently being sold at seven outlets in Odisha — four in Bhubaneswar, one in Puri and two in Koraput. The state government now plans to expand the brand further, including through social marketing agencies in the capital.
The growing popularity of Koraput coffee has helped around 3,000 families achieve economic self-reliance, reducing distress migration from the district.
Ashutosh Nanda, district marketing officer of the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (TDCC), told The Telegraph: “Koraput coffee is cultivated on 3,000 hectares, though it has the potential to cover 1.45 lakh hectares. This Arabica variety is grown without chemicals or fertilisers, giving it a nutrient-rich, distinct flavour. We currently procure about 85 metric tonnes from farmers, which we process and sell.
“In our Koraput coffee outlet, the coffee is affordable, ranging from cold to black brews, priced between ₹70 and ₹130 a cup.”
At present, the TDCC sells packaged coffee at ₹299 per 250 grams.
Nanda said that coffee cultivation has stopped the migration of tribals to other states as bonded labourers. “In 23 villages, producers now earn at least ₹50,000 annually from coffee, alongside income from other farm activities,” he said.
Binda Badnaik, a grower from Punjisil village, said: “I cultivate coffee on three acres of forest land. Last year, I earned ₹1.13 lakh. I have been doing this for seven years and no longer need to leave the state for work.”
To aid processing, TDCC, with support from the Coffee Board of India, has set up curing units for roasting, grinding, packaging and branding. Grown at altitudes between 2,500 and 4,200 feet, Koraput coffee is known for its aromatic, smooth and lightly acidic flavour with a long-lasting aftertaste.
Coffee cultivation in Koraput dates back to 1930, when King Rajbahadur Ramchandra Deo experimented with plantations near Jeypore. Larger-scale efforts began in 1954 to check siltation at the Machkund dam, but the crop’s economic potential was recognised only in the 1990s.