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Bed coffee at your doorsteps
The domestic consumption of coffee, unless improved, would lead to global coffee surplus and a price crash, according to Coffee Board member and former Upasi president Anil K Bhandari. As part of this, he has proposed a strategy of tapping the vast network of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and its affiliate state co-operatives for liquid coffee distribution. Since the great Brazilian frost of 1975-76, the coffee economy had been characterised by frequent cycles of boom and bust. The volatility was increasing and the boom periods were more the result of production decline due to adverse weather conditions than any genuine increase in consumption, he said.
The high coffee prices since 1976 gave a misplaced optimism and in India production went up to over 3 lakh tonne from a mere 90,000 tonne. This was the situation the world over and during this period consumption showed a flat trajectory, worse a negative growth, he said. Over 80% of the production here was being exported with domestic consumption confining mostly to the South.
India having a fairly sophisticated coffee economy with well-developed business at every stage from field to cup, it was only logical that the first attempt at boosting domestic consumption began here. As the Centre had taken an in-principle decision to go in for a domestic campaign, Bhandari felt that there had to be a genuine strategy.
Liquid coffee if brewed and packed properly could retain its aroma and taste for 10-12 hours and under refrigerated conditions could last up to 3 months. The board had to come to an agreement with NDDB and its affiliate state co-operatives to use their milk distribution network to supply coffee concentrate.
Along with the milk that reaches the consumer at the start of the day would come the coffee that needed to be added to boiled milk. Voluntary roasters could be allotted areas to have their roasting or grinding or brewing entity based on logistics.
Initially, the concentrates could be supplied free of cost for a limited period to lure the non-coffee drinker and then making him pay for it, even issuing coupons along with the ones for milk. NDDB could also get a royalty for this. This would transform the promotional vehicle into a commercial one, said Bhandari.
It would do away with two cumbersome stages - procuring roasted coffee powder and making it at home - which inhibit many from not taking to coffee. Roasters could be allotted areas in collaboration with the co-operative, helping him get a captive market. The programme could be initiated in several cities across the country in the initial phase. As the agreement would be between the board and NDDB, the roaster would get the licence of the former who could monitor quality.
With the board and Centre already keen on promotion, he felt that with the network already in place, what took decades in other countries could be achieved in a few years.
www.financialexpress.com
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