Paderu: The Andhra Pradesh government has signed far-reaching agreements with public and private sector organisations to nurture tribal areas in the state. The related Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed on Saturday in the presence of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu during the International Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations.

The partnerships focus on a wide range of areas, including agriculture, forest produce marketing, tourism promotion, and creation of livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.

Araku coffee: Tata Consumer Products signed an agreement with the Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC) to brand and market organic Araku coffee, giving the product a significant boost in the national market.

Expansion of Araku coffee: Besides, ITC has partnered with the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Paderu, to expand coffee plantations by 1,600 hectares. This adds to the existing 4,010 hectares in which ITC already cultivates coffee with local farmers.

Coffee Board partnership: The Central Coffee Board signed an MoU with ITDAs to expand coffee cultivation, improve the quality of coffee beans, and promote sustainable farming practices in tribal regions. Rubber cultivation: The Central Rubber Board has tied up with the ITDA of Rampachodavaram to promote rubber cultivation and develop the required infrastructure in the area.

Most of the other agreements are aimed at marketing tribal and forest products:

The GCC has partnered with Haathi Services LLC to sell tribal products, including Araku coffee, in countries like the USA. This will help GCC launch its retail operations in the United States.

Retail partnerships: Trifed and the AP-GCC will jointly establish retail showrooms across India to market tribal products and create employment opportunities. These showrooms will also feature Araku coffee kiosks.

Local market support: Agreements were also signed with the GCC and MEPMA to establish Araku coffee kiosks statewide, which will be run by local DWACRA women. Homestay development: To promote tourism, OYO Homes and Homee Huts have partnered with the government to set up homestays in tribal areas. The AP Tourism Forum also came forward to develop a tribal tourism circuit to improve employment opportunities.

Skill development: The Maarpu Society signed an MoU to focus on instilling moral values in tribal students.

The other agreements include partnerships with Subco for setting up a red cherry fruit ripening and processing unit in Chintapalli, and with Frontier Marketing and Easy Mart to market products made by tribal women in rural areas. The Equip organisation has signed an MoU to develop infrastructure for turmeric production and processing, while the ISB will work with the government to help tribal women's groups sell seasonal forest products.