Priyanka Gandhi calls for better prices for Wayanad coffee farmers

Wayanad: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday recalled her interaction with coffee farmers in Wayanad during her visit to the district last month and called for measures to help them sell their produce at better rates.

Priyanka, who had met the farmers along with her mother Sonia Gandhi, said many varieties of coffee are grown in the hill district and are performing well.

“However, there are still many problems being faced by coffee growers, some of which I am taking up with the concerned ministries,” she said in a post on ‘X’.

She noted that Wayanad accounts for 85 per cent of Kerala’s coffee production, and its ‘Robusta’ variety has won international awards and commands high prices abroad.

However, farmers receive very low returns for their produce, she added.

“Ideally, these farmers should be able to sell their produce at the best rates directly, and we should work towards helping them open their network out to the world,” Priyanka said.

She also shared a video on ‘X’ showing Sonia Gandhi and herself interacting with the farmers and inspecting their produce.