New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted Odisha’s renowned Koraput coffee during the 127th episode of his monthly radio programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat’, and said that India’s coffee is “coffee at its finest — brewed in India and loved by the world”.

“You all know about my association with tea, but today I thought, why not discuss coffee in ‘Mann Ki Baat’! You may recall that last year we talked about Araku coffee in ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Some time ago, many people from Odisha also shared their feelings with me regarding Koraput coffee. They wrote to me saying that Koraput coffee should also be discussed in ‘Mann Ki Baat’,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said he has been told that Koraput coffee not only has a unique and rich flavour but also plays a vital role in transforming lives in the region.

“There are people in Koraput who are cultivating coffee through their sheer passion. They were doing handsome jobs in the corporate world… but they liked coffee so much that they entered this field and are now successfully working in it. There are also many women whose lives have been pleasantly transformed by coffee,” he said.

The Prime Minister praised the empowerment of women and the socio-economic change that coffee cultivation has brought to Koraput.

“They have gained both respect and prosperity through coffee. It has been rightly said: Koraput Coffee is truly delectable! This indeed is a pride of Odisha,” he said, adding a line roughly translated from Odia.

Highlighting India’s diverse coffee culture, he noted that Indian coffee is gaining global popularity.

“Be it Chikmagalur, Coorg and Hassan in Karnataka; the areas of Pulney, Shevaroy, Nilgiri and Annamalai in Tamil Nadu; the Biligiri region on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border; or the areas of Wayanad, Travancore and Malabar in Kerala — the diversity of Indian coffee is truly remarkable,” he said.

He further mentioned that coffee cultivation in the Northeast is also expanding, enhancing the identity of Indian coffee worldwide.

“Our Northeast is also progressing in coffee cultivation. This is further strengthening the identity of Indian coffee worldwide — that’s why coffee lovers say: India’s coffee is coffee at its finest. It is brewed in India and loved by the World,” he added.

–IANS

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