Bangalore,Feb 22 (PTI) Italy-based world's leading roaster of espresso Coffee, Illycaffe SPA, would source more Arabica coffee from India as quality of the `desi' commodity improves, company officials said today.
Illycafe is the largest single buyer of Arabica coffee beans from Indian plantations, having purchased some 35,000 sixty-kg bags of green coffee beans in 2006, officials said.
Alessio Colussi, Head of Green Coffee Department, who is in-charge of purchases, said sourcing from India would increase.
"Growth rate will be moderate. We want to grow steadily," he said, adding, the proportion of Indian coffee in the blend of illycafe's espesso coffee is increasing.
Roberto Morelli, the Euro 227 million company's manager and member of the illycafe's strategic committee, coffee culture management and University of Coffee, said sourcing from India would increase as the quality is growing.
India is the only Asian country from where it sources coffee.
Colussi said Indian coffee has intrinsic properties, a distinctive flavour and Indian cultivation system is unique. The method of growing coffee in an environmental-friendly way and in a sustainable manner is a model for other producing countries, he said.
Illycafe's espresso coffee is available in more than 50,000 restaurants and coffee bars, and is sold in 140 countries around the world, serving over six million cups of illy espresso coffee a day, officials said.