Apart from the income from the sale of beans, coffee producers now have an opportunity to earn extra money from their plants throughout the year. The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru has developed a technology for producing a value-added coffee leaf product that also offers various health benefits.
Some producers, on the other hand, have opted to diversify the crops they raise and sell. According to Pushpa S. Murthy, Principal Scientist (Spice and Flavour Science Department) of CFTRI, since coffee leaves are continually generated, producers may harvest them in the off-season if there is demand.
Coffee is only harvested for a few months out of the year, depending on the harvest season in the country. For a considerable portion of the year, this can leave a number of producers and employees without work.
This technology is the result of a CFTRI initiative in 2019 to generate value-added products from coffee leaves. The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries provided funding for the project.
Farmers will be able to use leaves harvested during the off-season or during pruning without interfering with the growth of coffee beans, which will have a significant influence on the social status of coffee farmers, she said.
Due to the nature of the coffee bean’s growing cycle, over 70% of the coffee industry is unemployed or underemployed during nine months of the year.
The brew can be made with water, steeped for a few minutes, filtered, and consumed using CFTRI technology. According to her, the institute has started the process of transferring this technology to the coffee business, and a few industry partners have already given their assent.
In terms of the beverage’s nutritional content, she claims that coffee leaves are high in phenolic acids, which may have health benefits. Green tea has around 17% more antioxidants than a coffee leaf. The beverage should be consumed in its natural state.