The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has asked the Department of Commerce to take it up with the Finance Ministry to cut the import duty on coffee vending and brewing machine in the forthcoming Union Budget to boost domestic consumption of coffee. In its 79th action report tabled in Parliament by its Chairman, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, the Committee said the campaign to boost domestic coffee consumption should be finalised expeditiously. The Committee said coffee exports to the Russian Federation and Common wealth of Independent States (CIS) countries had not registered any tangible spurt during the last four years. This, it said, calls for a more vigorous push on the part of the Government to promote export of coffee through innovative marketing initiatives.

In its deposition before the Committee, the Commerce Ministry mentioned that Japan was being targeted for marketing high - value coffee of arabica and also specialty coffee. The leading Japanese Coffee roasters advised that India should participate in the All Japan Specialty Coffee Association fair. As a result of recent efforts, a delegation of the All Japan Specialty Coffee Association is likely to visit India sometime during the first halt of 2007 for detailed interactions with the Indian coffee industry to improve coffee trade relations between India and Japan.

Provision of JfSP

Commenting on the response to its earlier recommendation concerning provision of minimum support price (MSP) for coffee that it was not necessary because there was a price stabilisation fund scheme (PSFS), the Committee said the PSFS had not served its primary objective for which it was introduced, Against a target of 3.42 lakh coffee growers, only 11,562 growers had been registered so far under the scheme.

Hence, it urged once again for "due protection" to small growers either through an MSP mechanism or through a restructured PSFS, which is more purposeful and attractive to the growers.

It also criticised the Government for tepid results on pollution control measures initiated by it. It was also not clear as to what extent the awareness campaign mounted in this regard have succeeded.

Source : Business Line, 16th December, 2006

Coffee output forecast raised

The International Coffee Organisation raised its global production forecast for the 20062007 crop year after Brazil, the w'orld's top grower, produced more beans than expected. Output may be "around" 121 million bags, the London-based International Coffee Organisation said in an e-mailed report. The Prediction was revised after Bazil lifted its crop estimates on December 15 for the year ending September 2007 by almost 1 million bags to 42.5 million bags, the organisation's Exccutive Director, Mr Nestor Osorio, said in the repoli, Global demand for coffee beans will be 117 million bags next year, up from 116 million bags this year, Mr Osorio said. Robusta coffee gained $3, or 0.2 per cent, to $1,523 a tonne at 3.07 p.m on London's Euronext, Iiffe exchange. Prices have Jumped almost 29 per cent this year.

Source : The Business Line, 20th December, 2006

Coffee, Claus & Kids

Inquisitive eyes, unrestrained peals of laughter, innocence and excitement writ large on their faces, the children of Anantha Shishu Nivasa, Basavangudi, were a delighted lot at the outing organised by the Coffee Board ofIndia on December 27. "Ay! Alii nodu, Jokerru!", the children squealed upon seeing Coffee Swami, the Coffee Board's mascot, and Santa. Dressed in an inflated coffee bean outfit, Coffee Swami, the mascot for the Coffees of India, greeted the little ones while 'Santa' distributed chocolates and balloons to over 60 children.

The day of"gyan' and fun kickstarted with a visit to the Visvesvaraya museum. "I enjoyed the museum, especially the dinosaur", gushed an animated Meena.

The Children accompanied by eight caretakers from the Nivas later got onto a City Swaps hop-on-hop-off bus at Hudson Road for a two-hour funfilled sightseeing tour around Bangalore that covered places like Vittal Mallya Road, Government Museum, Anil Kumble Circle, Vidhana Soudha and Raj Bhavan.

After a satiating lunch, the young ones were taken for a merry ride on the toy train at Bal Bhavan. Finally, it was time to bid adieu to Coffee Swami and Santa, and the children carried home a cartload of memories to cherish for a lifetime.

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