Chintapalli – The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) has obtained the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) certificate for the coffee and pepper procured from tribal farmers in Chintapalli division. This certification, awarded by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, recognizes the organic cultivation practices employed by the farmers.
A total of 1,900 tribal farmers belonging to Gondupakalu, Lambasingi, and Kappalu clusters in Chintapalli division are actively engaged in coffee cultivation, utilizing a vast area of 2,184.76 acres. The process of acquiring the NPOP certificate began four years ago, involving comprehensive documentation and adherence to organic farming guidelines.
GCC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, G. Suresh Kumar, stated that efforts are underway to obtain organic certification for coffee beans sourced from GK Veedhi, Pedavalasa, and Yerracheruvulu clusters. These clusters encompass 1,300 coffee farmers who cultivate coffee across 3,393.78 acres. It is anticipated that the organic certificate for these clusters will be acquired by January 2024.
The organic certification is expected to yield significant benefits for the tribal farmers, as organic products often command higher prices in the market. However, the process of obtaining organic certification is complex, involving third-party verification, online verification, geo-tagging, and updating of information on the APEDA TraceNet platform.
GCC’s Managing Director expressed gratitude towards the tribal coffee farmers and the Girijana Vikasa Swatchanda Samstha (an NGO) for their valuable contributions in facilitating the organic certification of GCC Araku Valley Coffee.
With the organic certification in place, the GCC aims to provide greater opportunities and higher returns for the tribal farmers engaged in coffee cultivation, promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices in the region.