Steps in Curing Process:
Procurement
Coffee experts from Coffee Vel visit the plantations or the traders directly for buying, make sure the green beans are of good quality and negotiate for an agreeable price with the sellers.
After a price is agreed, green beans are loaded in Coffee Vel Logistics trucks for sending them to Coffee Vel curing plant in Pattiveeranpatti, Dindigul. The truck with coffee beans are weighed in a weigh bridge and then unloaded at the raw coffee warehouse. The empty truck is then weighed again and the difference is the weight of green coffee beans procured.
“Coffee Vel International coffee procurers have wide experience and knowledge on coffee and local market, thereby ensuring that the best beans are procured and the right amount of output processed green coffee can be achieved. This ensures that both the seller and buyer are both benefitted”.
Cleaning and Grading
The Winnower machine, blows air to remove the loose husk and other debris. The husk is collected as they are in high demand as industrial fuels because of their good heat retention capability and cost effectiveness.
The Grading machine then grades the coffee bean into different grades upto 5 Levels. Probable grades like P-berries, A+, A, B, and bits & blacks using sieves. Catadors remove the remaining husks.
“Coffee Vel International ensures that for every batch, the samples of each grade are tested to be of the correct size and quality”
Colour Sorting
Then come the Electronic Colour Sorters, which work on the principle of the difference in wave length of light for different colours.
Poor varieties like the bits, blacks and cuts are not sent to the colour sorter, but used in making instant coffee. After colour sorting is done, they are sent for Garbling - which is done manually by hand, mostly by women. This is the final sorting.
“Coffee Vel International colour sorters can sort upto 20,000 objects/minute and can detect those who has a defect size of even 0.025 sq. mm”
Packing and Dispatch
The processed green coffee is stored in the clean coffee godown, in 60 kg coffee bags from where they are sent to the markets for sale. They are sold in the domestic market or sent for export, depending on the type and grade of coffee.
“Coffee Vel International ensures that the godown is temperature and moisture tracked and export quality coffee bags are used for storing processed coffee beans”.