Madikeri/Mangalore;August 15: Due to the campaign organised in the district to declare coffee as the national beverage, the Central Government is having thoughts on announcing Coffee as the national beverage. The efforts of MP H Vishwanath are appreciated, said the Campaign Pioneer Maachimaada M Ravindra.
Addressing a press meet in the town on Wednesday, he said under the guidance of MP H Vishwananth, a team visited the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Textiles Anand Sharma and discussed on declaring Coffee as a national beverage.
The Central Government had plans to declare tea as the national beverage. However, to make the Central Government declare Coffee as the national beverage, 49 awareness programmes were held in different places of the district. The campaign will not stop and will be spread to other coffee growing regions such as Chikmagalur, Hassan, Andhra Pradesh, he said.
In case, coffee is declared as the national beverage, then it will have constitutional protection. Coffee growers need not have to suffer when coffee prices drop or if coffee crops are destroyed due to rains or diseases, as the Central and State Government will have the constitutional duty to protect the national beverage, it’s growers and labourers, he said.
Central Commerce Minister of State Purandareshwari will be visiting the district in the last week of September. During that time, coffee growers convention will be held in Gonikoppa, he said.
