R&D outfit to focus on developing high yielding clonal strains, resistant to White Stem borer, Leaf Rust
In an effort to increase productivity and production of Indian coffee, the major plantation associations in India have mooted a proposal to set up a privately funded research organisation. The main objective of the research outfit is to develop new clonal strains for both Arabica and Robusta coffee.
The plantation associations like United Planters’ Association of South India (Upasi), Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF), Hassan District Planters’ Association (HDPA) and Waynad Coffee Growers’ Association (WCGA) have decided to form the first of its kind private sector initiative called «Coffee Growers for Research» to take forward steps to develop new high yielding and pest resistant varieties, an official of KPA said.
These associations together have formed a joint action committee, which is in the process of finalising the structure of the research outfit.
«Over the last many years coffee production in India has stagnated around 300,000 tonnes, while many other coffee producing countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, and Vietnam have achieved manifold rise in coffee yields. We (India) need to catch up with world leaders in coffee production in the coming years or else we will be left at the level we are presently,» D Govindappa Jayaram, Vice Chairman, KPA told Business Standard on the eve of 120th annual conference of Upasi, here on Monday.
For example, the yield of coffee has increased 94% in Brazil to 1,257 kgs per hectare in 2011 from 649 kgs per hectare in 1971. Similarly, Vietnam has achieved 540% jump in yield to 2,188 kgs per hectare in 2011 from 342 kgs per hectare in 1971. While, India’s yield hs declined 3% to 838 kgs per hectare in 2011 from 861 kgs per hectare in 1971.
The need to form a private sector research body for coffee was felt by the planters as the government funded research wing under the aegis of Coffee Board of India has not done enough research in developing high yielding coffee varieties, which are resistant to white stem borer, leaf rust, tolerant to berry borer in Arabica variety, he said.
The last new variety released by the Coffee Board was Chandragiri variety about five years ago, which was released by Brazil’s IAPAR in 1959.
The Joint Action Committee in its proposed submission to the government of India has highlighted several challenges faced by the coffee sector such as over production in major coffee producing countries; escalating cost of inputs, especially the very high cost of labour, the inability to introduce large scale mechanisation. The need of the hour is to improve productivity and production of coffee, he said.
The new research outfit will be completely self funded and to begin with it will start with a corpus of Rs 2-3 crore, Jayaram said adding that the new research body will focus on selection of good mother plants from various plantations across the country.
The committee is also focusing on introducing a special scheme with incentives for production of Arabica coffee as Arabica coffee area was drastically declining, he said.
The committee is of the view that the only way is to provide positive Research and Development which can directly contribute to achieving higher yield. The development of good seed material and clones with high yield, which are resistant to pests and diseases, drought resistant and have positive attributes in the cup is a matter of great urgency and importance, the Upasi said in its latest report on plantation sector.
For Robusta variety, the committee said there is a need to develop clonal strains which are high yielding, good in the cup, drought tolerant to cope with climate change, resistant to shot hole borer and suitable for drip irrigation and mechanisation.
Development of indigenous machinery which help in efficient management of various cultural operations; R&D at the Coffee Research Station and substations to world standards and restoration of the Coffee Evaluation Committee and Mechanisation Committee are some other initiatives mooted by various plantation associations.
Source: business-standard.com/article/markets/coffee-planters-moot-india-s-first-privately-funded-research-body-113090200363_1.html
Coffee planters moot India’s first privately funded research body
