How fresh is your coffee?

            Have you ever wondered how fresh your coffee that you drink is? Come on seriously this is not for instant coffee drinkers this exercise is meant for people who brew to sip either it may be a filter coffee or other freshly brewed method.

Here is a small test to know more about the freshness of your coffee:

1.       Where do you purchase your ground coffee?

                                 i.            Neighborhood retail Shop.

                               ii.            From the racks of Supermarket.

                              iii.            Coffee shop.

                             iv.            Coffee roastery. 

2.       What is the quantity of coffee that you purchase each time?

                                 i.            100 gms.

                               ii.            500 gms.

                              iii.            250 gms.

                             iv.            750 gms.

3.       How often do you purchase your coffee?

                                 i.            Twice in a week.

                               ii.            Weekly.

                              iii.            Bi-Weekly.

                             iv.            Monthly.

4.       How do you store your coffee powder once it has been opened?

                                 i.            In the same packing.

                               ii.            Stainless steel container (with packing).

                              iii.            Plastic container- Air tight (with packing).

                             iv.            Freezer.

Add up the points for that you have selected and know your  results

1. i – 2, ii – 2, iii – 2, iv – 4

2. i – 4, ii – 2, iii – 3, iv – 1

3. i – 4, ii – 3, iii – 2, iv – 1

4. i – 1, ii – 2, iii – 3, iv – 1

1.       13-15 – Good

2.       8-13 – O.K

3.       5-8 – Bad

Yes it’s true, you can tell a lot about your favorite coffee if you know where it was grown it’s because each and every coffee producing region has its own individual taste profile.

Certification of Coffees

Certifications that are offered for Coffees which will obtain premium price in the International market. They are as follows:

1.       Organic - Create a verified sustainable agriculture system that produces food in harmony with nature, supports biodiversity and enhances soil health.

2.       Fair Trade Certified - Support a better life for farming families in the developing world through fair prices, direct trade, community development and environmental stewardship.

3.       Rainforest Alliance - Integrate biodiversity conservation, community development, workers’ rights and productive agricultural practices to ensure comprehensive sustainable farm management.

4.       Smithsonian Bird Friendly® - Conduct research and education around issues of neo-tropical migratory bird populations, promoting certified shade coffee as a viable supplemental habitat for birds and other organisms.

5.       Utz Certified - UTZ CERTIFIED’s mission is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains, where: Producers are professionals implementing good practices which enable better businesses, livelihoods and environments; The Food industry takes responsibility by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products; Consumers buy products which meet their standard for social and environmental responsibility.

6.       4 C Common Code - Achieve global leadership as the baseline initiative that enhances economic, social and environmental production, processing and trading conditions to all who make a living in the coffee sector.

Falling Arabica production in India?

Is it the shyness of the farmers towards Arabica or they are working on cluster growth on Robusta?

                 World over Arabica is ruling the coffee market with higher prices even the new regions that come up with coffee plantations in South America and African continent start producing and concentrate mainly on Arabica which fetch a much better price than robusta beans per square meter of their farm.

Production of Coffee in India

Year	Arabica	%	Robusta	%	Total
2009-2010	94600	33	195000	67	289600
2010-2011	94140	31	207860	69	302000
2011-2012*	104525	32	217725	68	322250

*Estimates

But farmers in India are switching to Robusta production from the Arabica plantation for various reasons; one of the reasons is Arabica which is prone to diseases, there’s a reason to cheer about is that Non traditional areas are concentrating more on Arabica plantations than their counterpart traditional growing areas.

  

Coffee Shipment from India by types:

Year	Arabica (Plantation+Cherry)	Robusta (Parchment+Cherry)
2007	42114.3	106768.7
2008	48869.9	107131
2009	29641.2	94205.8
2010	50580.4	152277
2011	54103.2	193133.1
Total	225309	653515.6

How come farmers in other countries could raise the Arabica trees and harvest the produce with out much hesitation and demand a superior price in the market for their produce.  

It is time for our people (Planters) they should think, act and try to get a much better return from their plantation.