Bangalore: India, Vietnam and Indonesia, three major coffee producers of Asia, are likely to hold a tripartite meeting shortly to evolve a common strategy to promote their coffee in the international market.

"There is a request that we (India, Indonesia and Vietnam) should meet for a tripartite meeting. We are encouraging it," L V Saptharishi, Additional Secretary in the Union Commerce Ministry told reporters on the fringes of the ongoing India International Coffee Festival in Bangalore.

The Coffee Board, he said, had been asked to get in touch with its counterparts in Vietnam and Indonesia for the meeting, which he indicated might take place soon.

To a query, Saptharishi said mere production curtailment or holding back stocks would not help improve the situation for the crisis-hit coffee industry.

"There is a demand projection. We have to have a marketing strategy and make the market respond to the situation. We have to be pro-active and aggressive," he said.

Asked about the demand by the coffee industry for extending interest subsidy being provided to small coffee growers to others also, he said the scheme was for a limited period in the current fiscal.

However, the demand for extending the period for small growers and also including big growers under the scheme was being examined by the government for the next financial year.

To another question, he said the government was examining the demand of the coffee industry for lowering duty for import of equipment connected with the coffee industry.

He said the plan allocations for the Coffee Board for the 10th five-year plan had not yet been finalised.

PTI