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Nilgiris Coffee is known to have a distinct flavour because of the geography and climatic conditions of the Nilgiris slopes. The Irula and Kurumba Indigenous Peoples have agricultural lands where they intercrop coffee trees with other trees such as jack, orange, lime, banana, silver oak and pepper vines. Spices are also grown along with coffee in a very diversified and resilient system.
Tradition
Indigenous Peoples use traditional agricultural practices to grow and harvest the coffee. Organic inputs such as Panchakaaviya and Poochiverati, a concoction made by themselves, are used in coffee cultivation. The producers use leaf litter as manure. The harvest is usually between November and March. The harvest is done usually by the family members who carefully strip the cherries which are then sorted and pulped manually.
Producers and processing
The whole family is involved at the time of harvest. They pluck and process the fruits with small pulping machines at the village level. Both men and women are involved in the process, without distinction. Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Ltd. procures coffee and process it with in a roasting and grinding facility. The company is a collective of tribal producers where producers are also company shareholders.
Territory
Nilgiris Arabica coffee plantations grow at an elevation of 3 500 feet above sea level. It is considered shade-grown coffee, as it is intercropped with various other crops such as silver oak, mango, jackfruit, millets and spices. Shade-grown coffee incorporates principles of natural ecology and promote natural ecological relationships among species of the ecosystems.
Further information
