Karnataka in tie-up with Coffee Board to train 1 lakh women entrepreneurs

Karnataka in collaboration with Coffee Board plans to train one lakh women members of self help groups (SHGs) as coffee entrepreneurs in the state.Karnataka, the largest producer of coffee in India, plans to train 100,000 women from self-help groups (SHGs) as coffee entrepreneurs in an effort to empower and boost the coffee industry. The state, in collaboration with the Coffee Board, will also set up 2,500 coffee kiosks managed exclusively by SHG women.

Karnataka accounts for over 70% of the country's coffee production, with coffee being grown in over 2.46 lakh hectares in the state. The majority of coffee growers in Karnataka are small growers. The Coffee Board is in regular discussions with the State Rural Livelihood Mission to create women coffee entrepreneurs, and with the formal announcement made in the state budget for 2024-25, the initiative will be implemented in the coming year.

The coffee industry in Karnataka provides employment to over 5.19 lakh people on a daily basis. The poultry industry in India is urging the government to allow the import of genetically modified (GM) maize and soyameal due to strong competition for maize supplies from ethanol-makers. The industry heavily relies on maize for its feed requirements and believes that importing GM maize and soyameal, as well as introducing high-yielding GM seeds, will increase productivity. Suresh Chitturi, Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms and Co-Chair of CII’s National Committee on Animal Husbandry and Dairy, highlighted the success of the Green Revolution in increasing wheat and paddy productivity through the introduction of high-yielding varieties.

The poultry industry also called for measures to increase maize production from 30 million tonnes to 40 million tonnes. The demand for maize from the poultry industry is expected to grow by 1 million tonnes annually, while the country's maize usage for ethanol production is projected to increase from 0.8 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes by 2027-28. The per capita egg consumption in India has reached 101 eggs and is expected to rise to 180 eggs in the next 6-7 years due to increased awareness of immunity and protein intake. sources