The seventh edition of the International Coffee Festival began here on Wednesday after a four-year gap.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was to inaugurate the four-day event, was however absent due to prior engagements in New Delhi, said an official.
Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda unveiled the festival in which stakeholders of the coffee industry from across the country and overseas, policy makers, manufacturers, exporters and traders are participating in a big way.
"Coffee is one of the most appreciated beverages in the world. As Karnataka is the largest coffee growing state in the country, producing 71 per cent of the beans, it is a great opportunity for the fraternity to promote their brands, showcase new technologies and grow distribution network the world over," he said.
Organised jointly by the Indian Coffee Trust and the Coffee Board of the Commerce Ministry, the festival has chosen "Express Yourself with Coffee" as its theme.
Earlier in the day, German-based coffee roasting machine maker Probat's trainer Marchel Knitter conducted a skill-building workshop on modern profile roasting in shop roasters.
Switzerland-based Buhler AG's head of business unit Stefan Schenker and Brazil-based Lilla Roasters head Fernando Fernandes made presentations on profile roasting of single estate coffees and assessment of roasting loss and cupping quality.
Special workshops were also conducted on coffee brewing, extracting a perfect cup of espresso using Indian and international beans and the art of making a perfect cup of cappuccino.
International Coffee Organisation Executive Director Jose Dauster Sette, Coffee Board Secretary Srivatsa Krishna, Hindustan Unilever Ltd Executive Director Sudhir Sitapati, India Coffee Trust President Anil Kumar Bhandari and Coffee Lab Chief Executive Sunalini Menon also participated in the inaugural event.
"The objective of the festival is to capture the changes taking place in the coffee sector and to discuss broader issues faced by the industry, growers, consumers and start-ups for building an eco-system," said Bhandari.
--IANS
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