Now, ‘kumkum’, Vaisakhi Coffee from GCC

Production of ‘kumkum’ taken up following a request from various temples

Tribal Welfare Minister R. Kishore Babu (third from right) launching the two new GCC products in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. ITDA Project Officer L. Sivasankar, Araku MLA K. Sarveswara Rao, Zilla Parishad Chairperson Lalam Bhavani, and GCC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ravi Prakash are seen.— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

The Girijan Cooperative Corporation on Wednesday released to more products — Kumkum powder and Vaisakhi Coffee.

The GCC’s Araku Coffee brand gained world-wide reputation.

Minister for SC and ST Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu launched the two products at a function attended by Girijan farmers.

GCC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director A.S.P.S. Ravi Prakash said that production of Kumkum powder was taken up following a request from the Srisailam Devasthanam and Sri Kanakamahalakshmi Devasthanam here to provide high quality material for the rituals at the temples. Other major temples too sent their requests and the total demand reached 30 tonnes.

The GCC, which is selling high-quality turmeric powder made from turmeric grown on a large scale in the Agency area, started producing Kumkum powder at its industrial unit at V. Madugula.

“Our kumkum is of very high quality and priced at Rs. 35 per 100 grams and Rs. 20 for 50 grams. It is also cheaper compared to other brands available in the market. We expect a turnover of Rs. 1 crore from the 30 tonnes we will be selling during the next 12 months,” he said.

The Vaisakhi Coffee is a blend of 70 per cent coffee and 30 per cent chicory, and the coffee part contains a mix of 85 per cent cherry coffee of Chintapalli mandal and 15 per cent parchment of Paderu mandal. The blend is prepared by Chief Analyst of Coffee Lab of Bengaluru Sunali Menon. Twenty tonnes of coffee is being prepared. The name was given to the coffee brand to represent the district and also because Vaisakhi means spring and the coffee cultivation brought spring into the life of the Girijan farmer.

GCC expects a sale of Rs. 1 crore during this year and Rs. 2 crore next year.

Middlemen to

be eliminated

Mr. Kishore Babu assured that in two-three years middlemen would be totally eliminated from coffee plantations in the Agency area.

To help the Girijans farmers come out of the clutches of the middlemen and private money-lenders and traders, the GCC was advancing a loan of Rs. 10,000 to each farmer. This would help the farmers sell coffee to the GCC.

Debt waiver of Rs. 1.88 crore was announced to 2,771 Girijan farmers.