Coffee Arabica
- Cultivars
- Slection 795
- Slection 9
- Hawai red cattura
- 5xhdt
- Hybrido de timor
- Kavery
The intentions of establishing a plantation on the current location was seeded in 1874 Seventy four years after the British Empire had established The East India Company. Mr. William Pascal Shaffter from the Church of Mission society of Switzerland (Madras Presidency branch) applied to the Crown of England to obtain the initial parcel of land, which today forms a part of Verdun Estate.
The Secretary of state for India in council, on 21st May 1875 offered for sale by public auction a parcel of land (25.39 acres) for a sum of Rupees Twenty, six annas and three pies. Mr. Schaffter as the highest bidder for a sum off Sixty Five Rupees (Rs. 65.00) secured this original extent of virgin jungle land from where the current plantation was established. {Document No. 5 of 1875 under the seal of the Honourable the Governor of Fort Saint George in Council}
Mr. Schaffter appointed a prominent legal counsel in the shevroy district during that period; Mr Carl Rahm (also acted as Attorney for Mr. William Pascal Schaffter) as the overseers of the property. Interestingly a road named after Mr. Carl Rahm and the original bungalow he lived in stands to date.
About 21 months later on 18th February 1877, Mr. Shafter offered to sell the property to an erstwhile British resident coffee planter on the Shevroy hills, Esquire Bredford Short. Mr. Short paid a sum of Rupees Five Thousand (Rs.5000.00) to secure the extent of 29.39 acres. (The road named after him is toady referred to as Bedford Road). {Sale deed registered at the sub-registrar’s office on 2nd March 1877}
On 29th March 1878, Mr. Short secured an additional extent of 14.31 acres from the Secretary of state for India in council. This additional extent was offered for auction by the Secretary of State at a starting sum of Rupees Fourteen & Five annas (Rs.14 & 5 Annas). Mr. Short acquired this piece of land as the highest bidder at Rupees Twenty Eight (Rs. 28.00) {Document No. 16 of 1878 under the seal of the Honourable the Governor of Fort Saint George in Council}
With the increase from 29.39 to 43.70 acres the entire extent was named as The Glen Danby Estate of the Shevroys, situated south of Pagoda Point by Mr. Short. Being an ardent coffee planter Mr. Short developed the property over 12 years. For reason unknown through documentation Mr. Short put the now named “Glen Danby Estate” for auction on 4th June 1889.
Ironically during the glorious days of the British Raj, A versatile Frenchman Mr. Edgar Raphael Prudhomme bought and owned the English coffee plantation formerly known as Glen Danby Estate. Mr. Prudhomme bought the Glen Danby Estate at an auction on the 4th of June 1889. Though a deed of sale document is not available a deposit receipt paid by Mr. Prudhomme stands evidence to this purchase. Mr. Prodhomme held this property for the next 33 years, the longest period in the history of this property thus far. {Oakes & Co. Auction deposit receipt for Rs. 1100 dated 4th June 1889 }
In the summer of 1922, Mr. Purdhomme sold a total extent of 44.46 acres to once again a British planter named Mr. Thomas Rice a retired member of the British army. Major Rice had witnessed the battle of Verdun first hand during World War I (Battle of Verdun). In tribute to his participation in this battle, he aptly renamed The Glen Danby Estates as Verdun Estate. Major Rice continued the coffee cultivation for well over 24 years. During this period further acreage was added to this plantation. Almost nearing the fag end of the British Raj in India the property changed hands again. {Sale Deed Document No. 137 of 1922 executed on 14th July 1922)
For reason assumed to be the imminent independence of India Major Thomas Rice decided to sell the developed property and return to England. On 18th March 1943, Major Thomas Rice sold an extent of 53.92 to Mr. Mohammed Yosuf Sheik, a general merchant residing in Yercaud, who reaped the benefits of a property well maintained. Mr.Yosuf Sheik held the property for the next 20 years. {Sale Deed Document No. 72of 1943 executed on 18th March 1943 } The change over from Glen Danby Estate to Verdun Estate has been formally recorded on this document.
In June 1963 The late Mr. Sethuratnam who was scouting for plantation property in the Shevroy ranges, Western Ghats (Ootacamund) & the Annamalais, settled to buy the rather run down property from Mr. Yosuf Sheik. The late Mr. Sethuratnam knew from the day he set his eyes on the property that it was going to be a battle to restore the plantation into a coffee garden of commendable nature. The saga that started then has continued and today is a priced, model coffee garden that stands testimony to his hard work and principled agricultural practices.
The Late Mr.Sethuratnam who acquired the property in 1964 translocated from the planting districts of Sri Lanka to India due to ethnic disturbances in 1962 and it was a paradigm shift from tea growing to coffee growing for him, he, however, became an established and celebrated planter in the shevaroys. In addition, he was the vice president of the planters association of shevaroys and the planters association of Tamil Nadu. During his planting years, he pioneered the floriculture industry in Shevaroys and was instrumental in making anthuriums a commercial crop in south India. He earned the sobriquet of, “The father of Anthurium cultivation” in Tamil Nadu. Currently, it is being managed by the family and it has been successfully converted into an 100% Organic farm.
At present, the property is run by Mr. Chidambara Raja, the eldest of the four sons of late Mr.Sethuratnam. He holds a diploma in Coffee cultivation from Chikkamagalur Institute at Karnataka. Verdun Estate is a multi cropping, high unit area utilization, and a light level harvest plantation. It is organic in stature and confirms to all norms of carbon foot print reduction including minimal use of fossil fuels. A unique planting system wherein every acre is mix planted with pre selected cultivars which have been assessed for flavour, aroma, liquor, etc ensure the achievement of an exclusive exotic end cup with a distinctive flavour and aroma. This to say that various coffee cultivars are assessed for their cupping quality and incorporated in the field during planting with varying percentages of each cultivar. This achieves a blend which in turn provides a distinct cup quality.
PLANTATION CROPS
Coffee is the predominant crop of Verdun Estate, secondary crops being Pepper and Citrus. All crops on the estate are grown conforming to organic certification standards. Specifically, only organic pesticides and fertilizers are utilized. A strict adherence to “ no plastic” policy is maintained.
Though formal organic certification has not been obtained this form of farming coupled with rain water harvesting techniques has been in operations from early 1980’s to operate the plantation. With an annual average rainfall less than 60 inches per annum, rain water harvesting, percolation ponds and check dams have taken the property from a marginal producer to a water sufficient self-contained operation.
- In 1964- Coffee, Citrus & Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) Cultivation begins
- In 1968- Piper nigrum (Pepper) Cultivation begins
- In 1969- Musa acuminata (Banana) cultivation begins
- In 1969- Anthurium cultivation begins
- In 1980- Fruit crops such as crops like Persea Americana (Avocadoes), Emblica officinalis (Gooseberries) and Ficus Carica( Figs) cultivation begins
Coffee Arabica
- Cultivars
- Slection 795
- Slection 9
- Hawai red cattura
- 5xhdt
- Hybrido de timor
- Kavery
Mr. S. Chidambara Raja
Address: Verdun Estate, Sengadu Post, Yercaud,
Tamil Nadu - 636 601 India.
Phone : +91 4281 222190
Mobile : +91 9787439760
Email : chidambararaja@verdunworld.com
Mr. Muralidharan Pillai
Address: P-10 Vishwabarathi Park,
Avinashi 641654, India
Mobile : +91 9894018100
Email : lee@verdunworld.com
