Visakhapatnam: As the world celebrates International Coffee Day today, the Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh is fast becoming a major destination for coffee enthusiasts—a surge further propelled by the recent recognition from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The valley has also seen an influx of tourists eager to experience the region firsthand. She noted that farmers receive logistical support—from planting and plucking to processing—while operating within an open market facilitated by cooperative societies and private buyers.
Junior liaison officer at the Coffee Board of India in Araku Valley, the board has seen a noticeable rise in enquiries regarding cultivation and processing following the Prime Minister’s address, according to VVKM Laxmi. “The defining characteristic of Araku Arabica is that it is 100% organic, cultivated entirely without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides,” Laxmi said.
For local farmers, the impact is personal. Araku coffee earned a geographical indication (GI) tag from the government in 2019, securing its origin and brand identity much like France’s Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) certification.
“Our family has been growing coffee for generations,” said Sita Ram, a farmer from Barmeli village who leads a group of nearly 2,000 growers. “It remains the backbone of our community’s livelihood.”
