What is PATS?
PATS Coffees is a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) based in the Palani Hills Northern Slope, comprising three villages: Pandrimalai, Adalur, and Tonimalai. Together, these villages represent a community of over 250 small-scale coffee farmers who collaborate to process their coffee at a centralized station.
Why PATS?
The initiative arose from the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in the region. Limited resources and capital often prevented them from optimizing coffee processing. By uniting as a collective, these farmers have improved bean quality, centralized processing, and gained the infrastructure needed to export their coffee internationally, thus unlocking greater market potential.
Where is PATS?
PATS operates in the lesser-explored side of Kodaikanal Right next to Dindigul, Tamil Nadu India 605101, a region rich in indigenous forests and wildlife. Among the 3,000 acres of land, small coffee estates ranging from 1 to 5 acres are scattered, growing coffee in harmony with the valley’s incredible biodiversity. Despite the challenges, this land is as much home to the farmers as it is to the thriving ecosystem.
Who is PATS?
PATS is governed by eight directors, each representing a different part of the villages. Every farmer is a shareholder, directly participating in the organization. This structure motivates them to deliver their best cherries to the processing station, ensuring a consistently high-quality final product.