Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) has urged the Commerce Ministry to include growers in market development and promotional activities in the 12th Five-Year Plan while taking part in international exhibitions and fairs.
KPA made a detailed presentation on growers' participation at a consultation workshop organised by the Ministry recently.
“Under market development and promotion activities, a grower is better suited to tell ‘the Indian coffee and its biodiversity' story,” said Mr Nishant Gurjer, convener scientific committee, KPA.
“The passion that is generated when a grower vividly explains and interacts with photos/videos etc to the foreign buyer is unmatched. Even the buyers in all the European and US markets love to have this interaction with the origin grower,” he added.
The KPA's proposal is to have a scheme which enables two growers (one from each of the State associations) to visit the international exhibitions and fairs in which the Coffee Board participates.
Market Development Assistance (MDA) to all the focus countries (including the US, Europe and Japan) is continuing since they are the main coffee consuming countries.
“These growers will only act as the ‘face' of Indian Coffee and will not promote or sell their own coffee/estate. For a total budget of just Rs 20 lakh a year: the mileage, visibility and benefits to the image of Indian Coffee will be immense,” Mr Gurjer explained.
“We sincerely request that this unique scheme be introduced as it costs the Board Rs 20 lakh a year. Two growers per fair at rate of Rs 1 lakh a grower into 10 fairs a year works out to Rs 20 lakh,” he added.
KPA's other recommendations include: Sustained domestic development and promotion of Indian coffee by thorough use of print and electronic media and a sustained promotion of Indian Coffee in international trade journals and electronic media as well.
Scheme on export promotion through incentive for value added coffee as India Brand at Rs 2 a kg and export of high value green coffee to far off markets at Re 1 a kg could be enhanced to Rs 3 a kg and Rs 2 a kg respectively.