AP’s first integrated coffee processing unit to be set up in Vizag region

Visakhapatnam: The govt has decided to establish the state’s first integrated coffee processing unit at Settipalem village in Makavarapalem mandal of Anakapalli district. While a few small coffee pulping and processing units exist in parts of the Araku region, many are either non-functional or operating only partially. These primarily operate as eco-pulping and central processing facilities that manage the initial stages of coffee production from local tribal farms.Even the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) does not have its own coffee curing or value-addition facility. It currently procures raw coffee from tribal farmers and relies on third-party units for processing roasted beans and filter coffee products.To address these challenges, GCC has proposed a modern 'bean-to-cup' coffee manufacturing unit. The proposed facility is expected to create an integrated ecosystem directly linking tribal coffee farmers, entrepreneurs, and consumers. Establishing the processing unit closer to the coffee-growing belt is also expected to help meet export traceability requirements. According to officials, it would enable full traceability, reduce operational and logistics costs, and ultimately increase revenues and livelihoods for tribal coffee farmers.Tenders already called for processing plantThe project aims to set up a coffee processing plant capable of converting dry cherries and parchment coffee into green beans, roasted beans, and coffee powder. The proposed capacity includes a 4 TPH (tonnes per hour) coffee curing line and a 100 KGPH (kilograms per hour) roasting and grinding line. Tenders have already been called for the project, officials said.The need for such a facility has grown alongside the rapid expansion of coffee cultivation in the region. Coffee cultivation in Araku region began in 1989 as a sustainable livelihood alternative for tribal communities that traditionally practised slash-and-burn (Podu) cultivation. Until 2002, expansion remained slow, with cultivation spread across only about 33,000 acres. However, sustained efforts between 2003 and 2008 accelerated growth, increasing the cultivated area to 65,000 acres. Today, coffee plantations in Alluri Sitharama Raju district cover nearly 2.42 lakh acres.Project draws criticism from tribal rights activistsHowever, the proposal to establish the unit in Makavarapalem has drawn criticism from some tribal rights activists and local leaders. Ramagopal Gaduturi, Andhra Pradesh unit president of Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, said it's unfortunate that the processing unit is being planned outside ASR district, where coffee is actually cultivated.A coffee eco pulping and processing unit was established in Chintapalli in 2019, marking the first such initiative in erstwhile combined Visakhapatnam district, now ASR district. Other govt organisations operate coffee pulping units in Chamagadda, RV Nagar, and Pedavalasa in Gudem Kothaveedhi mandal, besides Chinnagedda in Chintapalli mandal.“Some of these units have either shut down or remained idle for years and could be revived instead of setting up a new facility elsewhere. There is another coffee pulping unit in Chintapalli, which has remained non-operational for several years. Another coffee pulping unit located nearby has also remained closed for a long time. There is a coffee processing unit in Narsipatnam, while pulping units are functioning in Minumuluru, Pedabayalu, and Ananthagiri mandals. Chintapalli and Gudem Kothaveedhi mandals, which already have a strong agricultural base and existing coffee-related infrastructure, should have been prioritised instead of locating the unit in the plains of Makavarapalem,” said Ramagopal.The total estimated cost of the project, as envisaged under the approved master plan, is Rs 15.47 crore. Of this, the cost of civil works is estimated at Rs 11.6 crore, while plant and machinery costs are estimated at Rs 3.86 crore. The Union govt has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the establishment of this processing plant.