In a bid to give a fillip to tribal economy and enhance the market value of processed coffee, the Koraput district administration in association with the Coffee Board has distributed baby pulpers to beneficiaries, officials said.
Baby pulpers, also known as potable pulping machines, are used for wet processing of coffee and the extract which comes out from the machines is called plantation or parchment coffee.
"At present, over 70 per cent of coffee is processed through traditional dry method in the district which decreases the market value of the beverage. In this method, coffee beans are dried in sunlight," said Ajit Kumar Rout, senior liaison officer, Coffee Board.
Through wet processing, the market value of coffee increases about 55 per cent more than the dry method, he said.
To begin with, as many as 20 such pulping machines have been distributed among tribal beneficiaries of the district on Friday, officials said.
Koraput Collector Maadhusudan Mishra said, baby pulpers will not only improve the quality of the variety of coffee grown in Koraput but also improve the condition of the tribal people engaged in coffee processing.
"When the market value of the coffee increases, it will fetch good price in the market which will subsequently improve the financial condition of the tribals engaged in coffee processing," said Mishra.
According to a departmental survey, as climatic condition of Koraput is conducive for coffee plantation, it has been found that at least 1.45 lakh hectares in the district is suitable for coffee plantation.
Currently, only 1,467 hectares is under coffee plantation in the district, the officials said.
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