Serving India’s Coffee Growers: Shivakumar Swamy and the Coffee Board’s Mission

From the rainfed agriculture Fields to Agricultural Economics

Swamy grew up in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, where sericulture was the mainstay for farming families. His early years were spent in the village school, but his ambitions soon carried him to Mysuru for pre-university studies, and then to the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, where he earned a B.Sc. in Agriculture.

It was his postgraduate years, however, that shaped his perspective. Between 1992 and 1995, he specialized in Agricultural Economics under the guidance of Professor Chandrakanth, a leading natural resource economist. His research on groundwater use in rain-shadow regions gave him an early appreciation for the delicate balance between natural resources and farming livelihoods.

“Agriculture is not just about growing crops,” he reflects. “It is about sustainability.”

A Transformative First Posting

Building on this foundation in agricultural economics, Swamy transitioned from academic theory to hands-on practice when he began his career at JSS Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre) in Mysuru, Karnataka, as part of an ICAR project. The center, on the banks of the Kapila River in Suttur, was more than a job it was his initiation into discipline and innovation.

“That posting transformed me,” he recalls. “Until then, I had not experienced such discipline and work culture.”

For seven years, he worked across multiple domains, including Farm management, sericulture, animal husbandry, horticulture, and paddy. He played a major role in introduction of mechanization in paddy farming by demonstrating transplanting machines in farmers’ fields, convincing many of their efficiency. More importantly, he learned that extension was not about theory but about translating knowledge into practice. It was this grounding that prepared him for his leap into coffee.

Entering the World of Coffee

With this strong grounding in extension work, Swamy was ready to take on a new challenge: in 2003, Swamy joined the Coffee Board of India, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. At the time, he knew little about coffee beyond classroom theory. That changed with a rigorous nine-month induction training at the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Balehonnur.

CCRI itself was born out of a crisis. In the late 1800s, coffee plantations across Mysore were ravaged by disease. Alarmed, the Mysore Maharaja turned to Dr. Coleman, a British scientist and the then Director of Agriculture in the kingdom. Convinced of the need for organized research, the Maharaja established the Mysore Coffee Experiment Station in 1925, which evolved into CCRI. A century later, its work continues to shape the trajectory of Indian coffee.

For Swamy, CCRI was transformative. He spent weeks learning the science of coffee in classrooms and fields, and a week at the MS estate in Basarikatte area near Balehonnur.

“It was my transition,” he says. “I moved from paddy to coffee.”

Learning Among the Tribes of the Eastern Ghats

After training, Swamy’s first posting was as a Junior Liaison Officer in Chintapalli, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh. Coffee had been introduced there in the 1960s to replace shifting cultivation known locally as podu, which involved clearing forests and moving frequently. Coffee offered stability and sustainability to the tribal families in that area.

From 2003 to 2007, Swamy trained tribal farmers, ran demonstration plots, and introduced best practices. But the work required more than technical expertise; it required building trust.

“I had to learn Telugu,” he recalls with a smile. “The people didn’t know Kannada or English. To connect, I had no choice.”

Over time, his fluency opened doors, and he became part of the community. Two decades later, when he revisited Chintapalli, old farmers still remembered him.

“After 20 years, I went to meet the old people. It was a moving experience.”, he recalls fondly.

This early field experience reinforced that extension work is as much about relationships as technical knowledge.

Climbing the Ranks

Following his time in Chintapalli, tribal areas in Andhra Pradesh, Swamy brought his field expertise in Karnataka’s coffee-growing districts of Kodagu and in Koppa (Chikkamgaluru district). Because of his dedication and rapport with farmers, he was promoted to Senior Liaison Officer, and later transferred to the Coffee Board headquarters in Bengaluru. There, he first served as Deputy Director (Administration) before assuming his current role as Deputy Director (Extension) and now as Joint Director (Extension) in Planning & Coordination unit.

This progression gave him a holistic view of the Coffee Board, from grassroots extension work to high-level policymaking. Today, his role involves designing schemes in consultation with stakeholders and under the guidance of the seniors, coordinating with the Ministry, guiding field officers, and ensuring effective implementation.

“Our work is grower-oriented,” he emphasizes. “Everything begins and ends with the farmer.”

The Coffee Board’s Mission and Centenary Celebration

Having worked across the Board’s hierarchy, Swamy now helps shape its mission at a national level. Founded in 1942, the Coffee Board of India has long been the backbone of the country’s coffee sector. Headquartered in Bengaluru, it supports research, extension, promotion, and export facilitation. Over time, its scope has widened to include support for startups, entrepreneurs, and exporters, alongside its farmer-first mission.

This year, as CCRI celebrates 100 years of organized coffee research, the Board is preparing a three-day centenary celebration at Balehonnur. The program will feature technology demonstrations, exhibition, and a grower-focused conference. The highlight will be the honoring of 100 progressive coffee farmers, as well as recognition of farmer producer organizations (FPOs). International delegates and stakeholders from across the value chain will attend, but the central focus will remain farmers.

For Swamy, who has spent his career embodying the farmer-first ethos, the centenary is both a milestone and a moment of renewal.

Challenges in the Field

Even as the Board celebrates achievements, Swamy is acutely aware of ongoing challenges. Swamy has witnessed the shifting realities of Indian coffee since 2003. Erratic rainfall has made irrigation and rainwater harvesting critical. Labor shortages have forced a push toward mechanization, though India’s hilly plantations limit its adoption.

“Most mechanization today is in post-harvest processing,” he explains. “At the farm level, it is still limited.”

To address this, the Board has partnered with IIT Roorkee and the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal to develop suitable technologies, though they remain in early stages.

Productivity, he notes, remains uneven. While well-managed farms achieve up to one to two tonnes of clean coffee per acre, the national average is much lower: around 1,200 kg per hectare for Robusta and 700 to 850 kg for Arabica. The gap often comes down to simple practices: filling vacant spots, maintaining plant populations, using clonal material for uniformity, and applying fertilizers in more split doses.

To tackle heterogeneity in Robusta, the Board promotes clonal propagation. Working with planter associations, it has identified elite plants, developed clonal gardens, and distributed planting material. Yet demand outstrips supply.

“As a government body, we cannot meet the entire requirement,” Swamy admits. “Farmers must also start their own nurseries. We provide the technical support.”

Towards Specialty Coffee and Global Recognition

Looking ahead, Swamy believes the future lies in specialty coffee. With only 4% of global production, India has little sway over volatile international prices dictated by Brazil and Vietnam. But it has something else: diversity, shade-grown systems, and unique regional flavors.

By organizing smallholders into groups and encouraging uniform processing, the Coffee Board is trying to help growers to produce consistent, high-quality coffees that fetch premiums. Specialty green beans today sell for ₹1250–₹2,500 per kg, offering real incentives.

“We want growers to see themselves not just as producers,” Swamy says, “but as creators of specialty coffees.”

But challenges remain. Certifications like EUDR compliance, though aligned with Indian practices, are difficult for small farmers to prove. Climate change adds uncertainty, prompting the Board to make efforts to develop climate-resilient varietals by making use of other species of Coffee like Excelsa and Liberica to broaden the genetic base. Collaborations with Jain Irrigation have enabled tissue culture propagation, ensuring scalability.

Preparing for the Next Century of Coffee

As the Coffee Board steps into its second century, it does so with both pride and urgency. Pride, in nurturing a sector that now commands global recognition. Urgency, because climate change, market volatility, and labor challenges demand constant innovation.

For Swamy, who has journeyed from the rainfed agriculture fields in Kuderu village of Chamarajangar district to the policy desks of Bengaluru, the mission remains clear: to serve growers, empower communities, and ensure Indian coffee thrives on the world stage.

The Board’s journey mirrors the journey of coffee in India. It began with research, expanded through extension activities, and now is evolving to embrace sustainability, technology, and specialty markets.

As CCRI readies for its centenary, Swamy stands as both witness and participant in this history. From tribal farmers in Chintapalli to the clonal gardens of Kodagu, his story is inseparable from that of the Coffee Board. Together, they embody the quiet, persistent efforts that sustain Indian coffee and prepare it for its next century.