Kalpetta: The state government should take all necessary steps to develop Wayanad Coffee into an internationally recognised premium coffee brand, said Mananthavady MLA Usha Vijayan.

She was speaking at a seminar held here on Wednesday as part of the programmes leading up to the International Coffee Day celebrations to be held in Kalpetta on Thursday.

Wayanad coffee should be transformed into a sought-after, value-added premium product in international markets through standardised processing practices, distinctive branding and attractive packaging, Usha Vijayan said.

She stressed the need to ensure better returns for coffee growers by tapping the export potential of Wayanad coffee and enabling farmers to benefit directly from opportunities in overseas markets.

“A concerted effort involving government agencies, private stakeholders, farmers' organisations and other institutions is essential to establish Wayanad Coffee as a global brand,” she said. Usha Vijayan also called for coordinated efforts at various levels to improve the quality, processing, marketing and export potential of coffee produced in the district.

Coffee Board Joint Director for the Kerala and Tamil Nadu region Dr M Karuthamani presided over the seminar.

Three regional seminars were organised at Mananthavady, Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery as part of the International Coffee Day programmes. The seminars were jointly organised by the Coffee Board of India, Kera Project, Wayanad Coffee Growers' Association, Coffee Growers' Association, Kerala, and the FPO-FPC Consortium, an umbrella platform representing various farmer entrepreneurship organisations.

At Sulthan Bathery, Municipal Chairperson Raseena Abdul Khadar inaugurated the regional seminar.

The International Coffee Day celebrations will be inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Adv T Siddique at Chandragiri Auditorium, Kalpetta, on Thursday. Ministers P K Kunhalikutty and A P Anilkumar are also expected to participate in the programme.

Registration of farmers for the event will begin at 9.30 am at the auditorium, according to a press release.

It is to be recalled that Wayanad Robusta Coffee was included under the ‘Category A – Agriculture’ segment, which had received a special mention during discussions on the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) initiative at a national-level meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi in July last year. The ODOP initiative was launched by the Government of India to identify, brand and promote a distinctive product from each district in the country, with the objective of encouraging balanced economic growth and promoting regional development.

Wayanad Robusta Coffee, widely cultivated by farmers in the district and enjoying demand in international markets, has already received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Wayanad occupies a significant place on India’s coffee map, particularly in South India, with Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu together accounting for nearly 96% of the country’s total coffee production. Karnataka contributes the lion’s share of this production, while Wayanad is the leading coffee-producing district in Kerala, with around 60,000 farmers engaged in coffee cultivation.