Government to pump Rs 400 crore into coffee cup

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is planning to expand areas under coffee cultivation to 22,700 hectare by 2021-22 with a massive investment of Rs 400 crore.  The coffee plantation would be taken up in the undivided Koraput district where currently about 1,300 hectares are under cultivation. Official sources said  extension of coffee plantation in the State  was discussed during the recent visit of Indian Coffee Board (ICB) chairman Jawaid Akhtar to the State.  It has been decided to invest the ` 400 crore over a period of 10 years from 2011-12. The ICB would fund ` 35 crore for a programme on organic coffee production in the State. Rest of the funds will be pooled from MGNREGS, Revised Long Term Action Plan (RLTAP) for KBK districts and other schemes.  As per the survey conducted by the Coffee Board, an area of 11,650 hectare in the Koraput, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Phulbani and Keonjhar districts has been found suitable for coffee cultivation.  Public sector industries like Nalco, Hindustan Aluminium Company and a host of private sector enterprises have evinced interest to take up coffee cultivation in about 1,000 acres which is mined for bauxite ore extraction.  During the 9th Five Year Plan, the Board has been implementing a number of schemes for development of the coffee sector in traditional as well as non-traditional coffee-growing states. For Orissa, the Board is implementing a Special Area Programme with the objective of checking ‘Podu’ cultivation, rejuvenating small coffee holdings and expanding coffee plantation in the tribal sector by providing a subsidy of ` l5,000 per hectare.  Besides, the Board is also providing financial assistance for installation of coffee processing units and imparting training to coffee growers on latest coffee husbandry practices and scientific methods of cultivation.  Six hulling units were also supplied under the scheme to the State during 1999- 2000 to process coffee at farm level.  At present, there are about 122 private coffee growers in the Koraput who have taken to commercial cultivation. The coffee growers in Koraput and Rayagada districts have made huge profits ushering in a positive change in the socio-economic condition of tribals. Official sources said the expansion programme will benefit the locals immensely.