Pepper and coffee produced by the tribal farmers of Athirappilly will hit the European market soon. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed for the export of coffee and pepper produced by the Athirappilly Tribal Valley Farmer Producer Company (FPC), operating under the Department of Agriculture.
The Athirappilly Tribal Valley FPC has been cultivating coffee, pepper, turmeric, and cocoa on 330 hectares of land, using entirely organic methods. The agricultural products from this region have earned high-quality certifications, including the Rainforest Alliance Organic Certification and the PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) Organic Certification implemented by the Department of Agriculture.
The Athirappilly Tribal Valley FPC has signed agreements with JS&T Associates for the export of coffee to Europe. Additionally, for the export of organically grown pepper, a memorandum has been signed with VakeWorks AB, a company based in Sweden, according to Agriculture Minister P. Prasad.
Excellent rating
The Libérica coffee from Athirappilly is already being exported to Europe with an excellent rating from foreign laboratory tests. Initially, the exports will include Robusta and Liberica varieties of coffee.
The agreement signing ceremony, held at the Legislative Assembly Conference Hall, Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday was attended by the Agriculture Minister, Chalakudy MLA T.J. Saneesh Kumar Joseph, Agricultural Production Commissioner B. Ashok, Additional Director of Agriculture K.P. Salinamma, and Adviser to the Athirappilly Tribal Valley Project S. Salumon S.S.
Chairperson M. Ratheesh represented the Athirappilly Tribal Valley FPC, while VakeWorks AB was represented by Chief Operating Officer Rajesh Rajagopal. According to the MoU, over the next three years, VakeWorks AB will procure two tonnes of pepper under the Athirappilly brand in co-branding strategy. Regarding coffee exports to Europe, JS&T Associates, represented by Jinu Joseph, has committed to procure 20 tonnes of coffee through the Athirappilly Tribal Valley FPC over the next five years.
This initiative is part of the State government’s Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI) project, aimed at comprehensive development in the agricultural sector, with special focus on the welfare and empowerment of indigenous communities.
Living standards
The Athirappilly Tribal Valley Agricultural Project has successfully improved the living standards of indigenous farmers in the region, with efforts spanning from crop production to value addition and marketing. The project has been running from 2021 to 2024, promoting organic farming methods like PGS and multi-crop practices.
The formation of a farmer producer company exclusively for indigenous farmers—Athirappilly Tribal Valley FPC—has enabled them to focus on enhancing income through value addition and better market access. The company has also set up a processing unit and established the Athirappilly brand to market its products. This marks a significant milestone in improving the livelihoods of indigenous farmers, who are actively involved in the storage, value addition, and marketing of agricultural products under the tribal ownership model.
Published – March 26, 2025 08:39 pm IST
