RUBBER 2 LAST

On Coffee production, Sitharaman said, "Karnataka ranks On Coffee production, Sitharaman said, "Karnataka rankstop in production of coffee at 54.2 per cent followed byKerala at 19 per cent and Tamil Nadu at eight per cent." "These are traditional coffee growing areas. I am gladto say that newer areas are coming up in Andhra Pradesh,Uttarakhand. We are looking at expanding coffee markets too,"she said. To a query on tea production, she said, the centralgovernment was looking at converting many tea growing areas inAssam and Sikkim into organic tea growing areas. "Why organic tea?.. because, it sells good in overseasmarket, where growers can brand it and bring it in localflavours," she added. Responding to a question on poor quality arecanut beingimported from Nepal and Sri Lanka, she said, she would lookinto the matter. PTI VIJ ROH BNANU