The Union government on March 29 said it has awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to five varieties of Indian coffee, including Coorg Arabica coffee.

The move is expected to help the growers get maximum price for their premium produce.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, under the commerce and industry ministry, recently awarded this tag to Coorg Arabica, Chikmagalur Arabica and Bababudangiris Arabica coffee from Karnataka, Wayanad Robusta coffee from Kerala and Araku Valley Arabica from Andhra Pradesh.

Araku coffee is produced by tribals, who follow an organic approach in which they focus on management practices involving substantial use of organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices, the ministry said in a statement.

Similarly, it said, Bababudangiris Arabica coffee is selectively hand-picked and processed by natural fermentation.

It added that coffee is cultivated in about 4.54 lakh hectares in India by 3.66 lakh farmers, of which 98 per cent are small farmers.

Coffee cultivation is mainly done in the southern states, including Karnataka, which accounts for 54 per cent of the total production. It is followed by Kerala (19 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (eight per cent).

It is also grown in non-traditional areas such as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2 per cent) and the Northeastern states (1.8 per cent).

India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried, it said, adding the country produces some of the best coffee in the world, grown by tribal farmers in the Western and Eastern Ghats, which are the two major biodiversity hotspots in the world. Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market and sold as premium coffee in Europe.

“The recognition and protection that comes with GI certification will allow the coffee producers of India to invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in that particular region. It will also enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee,” it added.

A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

Darjeeling Tea, Tirupati Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina are among the registered GIs in India.

Experts said that the award of GI tag gives protection to the producer of those genuine products, which commands premium pricing in both domestic and international markets.

“Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product,” said National Intellectual Property Organisation president T.C. James.