Context: Recently, Ministry of commerce and industry has put forward draft coffee bill in order to replace the existing 80-year old Coffee Act of 1942.

• The bill has been introduced in order to modernize the functioning of Coffee Board.
• It also wants to ensure the promotion of exports and support the development of domestic market.
• Under the 1942 Act, Coffee Board had the power to control the marketing, regulate sale in both local and global markets.

Key provisions of the bill

Expanding the mandate of the Coffee Board by including new functions like:

• Support for production, research, extension and quality improvement.

• Focus on promotion of coffee and skill development of coffee growers.

• Holistic promotion and development of coffee industry.

• Protecting the interests of the labour in plantations, processing units and coffee communities.

• Promotes ease of doing business by simplifying documentation and procedures, including bringing in a one-time registration of curing units.

• It will help in creating more employment opportunities in the coffee sector and benefit the entire value chain.

• It will lead to expansion of the cash crop in new areas along with promotion of sustainable cultivation.

• It will also boost farmers' income as it will bolster the export production of Indian coffee which was affected due to the pandemic.

What are cash crops?

• A cash crop is a profit crop which is grown to sell for profit.

• They are different from subsistence crop as such crops are planted for the purpose of self-supply of farmers.

• Most of the cash crops grown in the developing nations are sold to the developed nations for a better price.

• Some well-known cash crops are: coffee, tea, cotton and sugarcane.

About coffee plantation in India

• Coffee plant requires hot and humid climate with temperature varying between 15°C and 28 °C and rainfall from 150 to 250 cm.

• Coffee in India is traditionally grown in the rainforests of the Western Ghats in South India mainly produced in Karnataka (highest), Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

• India ranks 6th among the world's 80 coffee-producing countries.

What are the varieties of coffee in India?

• Arabica and Robusta are two main varieties of coffee grown in India.

• Arabica is mild coffee, but the beans being more aromatic, it has higher market value compared to Robusta beans.

• Arabica is grown in higher altitudes than Robusta.

• Arabica requires more care & nurture and is more suitable for large holdings whereas Robusta is suitable irreonective of size of the farm.

About coffee board of India

• It is an organisation managed by the commerce ministry to promote coffee production in India.

• The head office is located in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• It is a statutory body established by an act of parliament in 1942.