Giving fresh hope to coffee growers, the Kerala State Industries Department is gearing up to set up a carbon neutral farm project in Wayanad district of Kerala .

A carbon neutral village coffee park would be set up for which the State government had earmarked Rs 150 crore for first phase construction works.

The project envisages doubling the income of coffee farmers of Wayanad who are reeling under an agrarian crisis owing to the low price for produce such as coffee, pepper and arecanut.

Three-pronged strategy

First Phase:

A three-pronged strategy is envisaged, including the setting up the KINFRA coffee park with KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board) funding

Second Phase:

Coffee plantations would be categorised taking into account aspects such as local agrarian climate. Scientific care would be ensured.

Based on this categorisation tag, the products would be taken to local procurement centres.

The value-added coffee powder would be marketed under the brand name of ‘Malabar Coffee.’

Recent GI Tag Status:

Wayanad in north Kerala grows about 50,000 to 60,000 tonnes of robusta coffee annually, making it a prominent region in the country cultivating this variety.

The Coffee Board had recived GI status for Wayanad coffee, along with Baba Budan Giri, Araku Valley, Coorg and Chikmagalur coffee recently.