Girijan coffee growers have received all praise for producing a high quality coffee in spite of the Hudhud cyclone, unseasonal rain and other unfavourable conditions by following the organic and biodynamic methods introduced to them by the Naandi Foundation which is working in collaboration with the ITDA, Paderu, to improve their livelihood.
Speakers at a function held to distribute the Gems of Araku coffee brilliance awards at Thuraiguda, near this famous tourist centre, appreciated the Girijan coffee farmers for their good work and assured to continue the foundation’s support and make them take up more programmes like taking up planting 100 million plants.
Chief Executive Officer of Naandi Foundation Manoj Kumar said the foundation was determined to continue the Girijan diversity which was disappearing fast all over the world. “We would like Araku to redefine the word farmer as a family. It is a farmer’s cooperative and every farm land must be managed by the entire family. Incidentally the UN has declared this year as family farming year and we have started the exercise long ago.”
The foundation discussed with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who adopted a village near Araku Valley on planting more saplings and it suggested doing so on hill tops and riverbeds so that soil erosion could be arrested.
Head of the panel of judges Sarvadaman Patel from Gujarat explained the criteria for judging the best village and best farmer. He wished the farmers to produce a bumper crop next year after the losses they suffered due to Hudhud.
CSO of Naandi Foundation David Hogg, who has been working with the local farmers for a long time, spoke about the quality, biodiversity, training, assistance in marketing issues and the need for better agriculture practices like improving soil quality, preventing erosion and improving greenery on the hills.
Buyers Priscilla Daniel of DR Wakefields of London and David Warr from the Channel Island in the UK said the Araku coffee was one of the finest.
President of the Small and Marginal Tribal Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society (SAMTFMAC), which is the only Girijan coffee cooperative in the country, Killo Kondala Rao, spoke.
