Hardoor

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CountryIndia
RegionSunticoppa
FarmHardoor
Altitude1 000 m
Size of the farm81 ha

Mukul is the fifth generation owner of Hardoor Farm and is the one who manages this organic coffee farm.

 

In the Western Ghats, near Suntikoppa Kodagu, at an altitude of over 1000 metres, lies the Hardoor estate. For over 120 years, five generations of one family have lovingly cared for this 90-hectare estate, supporting both its biodiversity and the local community around it. Its name comes from the tributary of the Kaveri River that winds through the area.

 

Hardoor Estate is renowned for its shade-grown Arabica coffee, with the Chandragiri and Selection-795 varietals taking pride of place. But a leisurely walk around the estate introduces you to the rich variety of other produce nurtured by the land: Malabar black pepper, avocado, orange, banana, jackfruit, and litchi.

 

The estate is also home to over 160 species of identified trees including ficus, African tulip, bishop wood, mahogany, Nilgiri elm, pink cedar, pongamia, rose wood and silver oak. A countless number of bird species flock to these trees throughout the year – a distinction acknowledged by its certification as India’s first bird-friendly coffee farm by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, DC.

PROTECTION OF WILD ANIMALS

KaadKaapi is a collective in South India which keeps animals free to move and passage in the countryside and around farms.

 

It supports long-term sustainability by working with farmers in Chikmagalur and Coorg districts to implement wildlife-friendly cultivation methods, providing financial and advisory support, and ensuring access to premium international markets. This approach benefits both wildlife conservation and local farmers economically.

 

Traditional coffee agroforests in this region help preserve local biodiversity by providing alternative habitats for wildlife. However, market changes and rising cultivation costs are driving farmers towards practices that harm biodiversity.

About the coffee

Our partner farms cultivate both traditional Indian Arabica varieties and cultivars that have been introduced to India from other coffee-growing regions around the world. Many of these varieties were developed through breeding programmes aimed at improving disease resistance, adapting plants to local growing conditions, or enhancing cup quality.

Among the most significant Indian varieties is S795, developed in the 1940s from breeding material introduced from Kenya. It remains one of India’s most widely cultivated Arabica varieties, valued for its reliability, adaptability, and well-balanced cup profile. Another important variety is SLN9, developed at the Coffee Research Station in Balehonnur as a cross between Ethiopian Tafarikela and Hybrido de Timor. Considered one of the newer Indian cultivars, it is recognised for its excellent cup quality. Chandragiri is another notable Indian variety, bred as a more disease-resistant alternative to Kent. Thanks to its high yield potential and quality, it has become increasingly common on Indian coffee farms in recent years.

Alongside these Indian varieties, many of our partner farms are also cultivating internationally recognised cultivars such as Geisha, Bourbon, Catuai, as well as other experimental varieties. The selection of cultivars varies between farms and evolves from harvest to harvest, reflecting each producer’s decisions and the ongoing development of Indian specialty coffee.

IN-26-059 Hardoor N

Fully ripe cherries are selectively hand-picked, hand sorted, and density sorted in water to remove floaters and foreign matter. The cherries are then slowly dried for approximately 25 days on raised beds and/or patios using a combination of shade drying and polyhouse drying to promote even moisture reduction and flavour development. Once the desired moisture content is reached, the dried coffee is cupped, quality assessed, and segregated into individual lots before being stabilized in storage. The coffee is subsequently machine hulled, colour sorted, and hand garbled to ensure consistency and defect control, before being packed in hermetic liners within new Ijira jute bags for export.

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