Development Support for Coffee in Traditional Areas: Eco-certification of Coffee

Description
The scheme "Development Support for Coffee in Traditional Areas: Eco-certification of Coffee" is a Sub-Component of the Scheme "Integrated Coffee Development Project During the Medium Term Framework MTF Period: Development Support to Stakeholders" by the Coffee Board, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The objective of this scheme is to encourage coffee growers to access high-value specialty markets through production of eco-certified coffees so as to realize higher returns by adhering to a set of standards which help in communication of quality, traceability, social, environmental and financial conditions surrounding the production of coffee.

Exclusions
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Benefits
• Certification Support: 50% of the certification cost, subject to a maximum of ₹50,000 (Rupees 50,000) per individual grower/grower groups. In the case of Organic certification, spread over a period of 3 years or the conversion period, whichever is less; in the case of other certificates, one year, during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) period.
• Additional Support for SC/ST Community: Individual coffee growers belonging to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community with a coffee holding size of up to 4.00 hectares are eligible for an additional 10% of the certification cost, subject to a maximum of ₹55,000 (Rupees 55,000) per grower during the MIDH period.

Eligibility Criteria
1. The individual grower should own up to 10 hectares of coffee holding.
2. The group of small growers such as SHGs or collectives should obtain certification for sustainability and quality standards.
3. The grower should not have availed subsidy for the same activity during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture period unless new beneficiaries are covered.
4. The grower or group should obtain certification under recognized programs such as Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, or Bird Friendly/Shade Grown coffee standards.
5. The grower claiming support for organic certification should be certified under the National Programme for Organic Production standards.
6. The grower or group should obtain certification only from agencies accredited by the respective certification programs.
7. The non-tribal grower in non-traditional areas should have a coffee holding of up to 10 hectares.
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Application Process
Step 1: Step 1: Application Submission: After obtaining certification from an accredited certification body/agency, the grower/grower groups must submit their application along with a copy of the certificate and other relevant documents to the concerned j…
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Step 1: Application Submission: After obtaining certification from an accredited certification body/agency, the grower/grower groups must submit their application along with a copy of the certificate and other relevant documents to the concerned jurisdictional Coffee Board office during the same financial year as the completion of the activity, as far as possible.

Step 2: Step 2: Document Scrutiny: The concerned office will scrutinize the documents and conduct field inspections to verify books and records.
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Step 2: Document Scrutiny: The concerned office will scrutinize the documents and conduct field inspections to verify books and records.

Step 3: Step 3: Forwarding the Claim: The Joint Liaison Officer (JLO) / State Liaison Officer (SLO) shall forward the claim along with the Physical Verification Report and other relevant records to the concerned Deputy Director (Extn).
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Step 3: Forwarding the Claim: The Joint Liaison Officer (JLO) / State Liaison Officer (SLO) shall forward the claim along with the Physical Verification Report and other relevant records to the concerned Deputy Director (Extn).

Step 4: Step 4: Subsidy Release: The Deputy Director (Extn.), after scrutinizing the claim and records and confirming the admissibility of the claim in all respects, will release the subsidy amount to the beneficiary's bank account through National Electr…
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NOTE: This incentive provides backend support only to those who obtain certification for their estates.

Required Documents
• Application in the prescribed format (in duplicate).
• Proof of identity of the grower/registration certificate in the case of the growers' group.
• Copy of the certificate issued by the accredited Certification Agency.
• Copy of Patta/Khatha Extract along with Record of Rights (RTC) for all Survey Numbers having coffee in possession of the applicant/applicants in respect of Karnataka.
• Copy of Land Possession Certificate issued from the competent Revenue authority (Atalji Kendra) / Central Record Center (CRC) along with RTCs for all Survey Numbers having multiple names in the RTCs of the applicant/applicants in respect of Kodagu District in Karnataka.
• Copy of Chitta & Adangal of the applicant/applicants in respect of Tamil Nadu.
• Copy of Land Possession Certificate of the applicant/applicants issued by the competent Revenue authority of Kerala. In case the applicant is a GPA holder, provide an attested copy of the registered GPA.
• An attested copy of the Certificate issued by the accredited Certification Agency.
• Original invoice/bill towards the cost of certification/proof of payment of certification costs.
• Copy of the Bank Pass Book containing the details, such as the name of the account holder, account number, name of the bank, branch, IFSC code, etc., preferably Aadhaar seeded.
• In case the applicant is a GPA holder, provide an attested copy of the registered GPA.
• In case of SC/ST category grower applying individually, provide a caste/community certificate issued by the competent authority.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the process for claiming the subsidy?
A: After obtaining certification from an accredited agency, growers must submit their application, certificate copy, and relevant documents to the Coffee Board office in the same financial year as the activity's completion.

Q: Is this support available to non-tribal coffee growers in Non-Traditional Areas?
A: Yes, non-tribal coffee growers in Non-Traditional Areas with coffee holdings of up to 10 hectares are also eligible for this support.

Q: Where should certification be obtained?
A: Certificates should only be obtained from Certification Agencies accredited by the respective Certification Programs.

Q: What are the criteria for organic certification?
A: Growers seeking support for organic certification should have been certified as per the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) standards.

Q: What types of certification are supported?
A: This support covers certification standards such as Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, Bird Friendly/Shade Grown coffee, and any equivalent certification programs.

Q: Can a grower avail the same subsidy for multiple activities/components?
A: No, a grower cannot avail the same subsidy for one activity/component during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) period unless new beneficiaries are included.

Q: Who is eligible for this support?
A: Individual growers with coffee holdings of up to 10 hectares and small grower groups (SHGs, collectives) obtaining certification for sustainability and quality standards are eligible.

Q: Are there any special provisions for SC/ST community growers?
A: Yes, individual coffee growers from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community with holdings up to 4.00 hectares can receive an additional 10% of the certification cost, up to [?]55,000 during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) period.

Q: How much support is provided for certification costs?
A: Certification support covers 50% of the certification cost, with a maximum of [?]50,000 per individual grower or grower groups. For organic certification, this support is distributed over three years or the conversion period.

Q: What is the primary goal of the "Development Support for Coffee in Traditional Areas: Eco-certification of Coffee" scheme?
A: This scheme aims to encourage coffee growers to access high-value specialty markets by producing eco-certified coffees, adhering to quality, traceability, social, environmental, and financial standards.

Q: What documents are required to claim the subsidy?
A: Documents include the application, proof of identity/registration, certification documents, land ownership documents, attested certification certificate, original invoice/bill, bank passbook copy, and, if applicable, a GPA holder's attested copy and SC/ST community certificate.

Q: What's the procedure for claiming the subsidy?
A: After obtaining certification from an accredited agency, growers must submit their application, certificate copy, and relevant documents to the Coffee Board office in the same financial year as the activity's completion.

Q: Can non-tribal coffee growers in Non-Traditional Areas apply?
A: Yes, non-tribal coffee growers in Non-Traditional Areas with holdings up to 10 hectares are eligible for this support.

Q: Where should growers obtain certification?
A: Certificates should be obtained only from Certification Agencies accredited by the respective Certification Programs.

Q: Is there additional support for SC/ST community growers?
A: Yes, individual coffee growers from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) community with holdings up to 4.00 hectares can receive an extra 10% of the certification cost, up to [?]55,000 during the MIDH period.

Q: Is there a limit to availing subsidies?
A: Yes, a grower can't avail the same subsidy for one activity/component during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) period unless new beneficiaries are covered.

Q: What support or subsidy is available for certification?
A: Certification support covers 50% of the certification cost, with a maximum of [?]50,000 per individual grower/grower groups. For organic certification, it's spread over three years or the conversion period, while for other certificates, it's for one year during the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) period.

Q: What types of certification are supported?
A: Support is available for certification in various standards like Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, Bird Friendly/Shade Grown coffee, or any other equivalent certification programs.