Coffee Board constitutes regional consultative forums for coffee research

KOCHI: Coffee Board has constituted regional consultative forums (RCFs) consisting of representatives of growers associations, enterprising or eminent growers, experts in the field of agriculture as well as members of the board so as to have a platform for regular interactions or consultations on coffee research covering all the major coffee growing regions of the country.

The RCFs will be coordinated by the research station concerned in that region. Accordingly, four RCFs have been constituted comprising two for Karnataka and one each for Kerala and Tamil Nadu states.

The decision has been taken keeping in view that changing requirements of the coffee growing sector are not incorporated into the research programmes dynamically, as there is no regular structured platform for regular inter face between the researchers and the stakeholders, Coffee Board chairman Jawaid Akhtar said in a statement on Wednesday.

The regional forums have been constituted for a two-year period after which they will be reconstituted.

The RCFs will discuss the programmes of research pertain ing to the research station concerned and provide recommendations/inputs for strengthening the research, making it more relevant and for taking up new areas of research to improve their utility. The RCFs will generally meet at sixmonth intervals. Additional meetings may be convened based on the need to discuss specific issues.

The Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), the headquarters of the research department of Coffee Board, has been involved in development of appropriate technology for coffee for improving the production, productivity and quality of Indian coffee since 1925.

The CCRI has regional coffee research stations one each at Chettalli in Coorg district, Chundale in Wayanad district of Kerala, Thandigudi in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, RV Nagar in Vizag district of Andhra Pradesh and Diphu in Karbi Anglang district of Assam covering all the major coffee growing regions of the country.