Coffee cultivation in non-traditional areas rises 8%

Business Standard, Nov 26, 2008

The coffee cultivation in non-traditional areas has expanded by 8 per cent to cross 50,000 hectares in 2008-09 compared to previous year’s levels. In India, the non-traditional coffee growing areas are in Visakhapatnam and east Godavari districts in Andhra Pradesh, southern districts in Orissa (bordering Andhra Pradesh) and north-eastern states.

“Expansion of coffee cultivation in non-traditional areas has been expanding on an average of 4,000 hectares annually driven by state governments and supported by the Coffee Board,” said Coffee Board chairman, G V Krishna Rau.

“Our efforts with the state governments have borne fruits. In addition to expansion in coffee growing areas, we have been able to provide gainful employment to tribals,” he added.

In the eastern ghat districts of Andhra Pradesh, coffee is cultivated in about 32,000 hectares. In Orissa it is cultivated in 4,000 hectares in the districts of Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar and Gajapati. Coffee in north-eastern states is cultivated in around 15,000 hectares in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

To give a fillip to non-traditional coffee growing areas, Coffee Board has included non-traditional areas to be part of the ‘Coffee Development Plan’ under the XI Five Year Plan and has initiated a move to engage the tribals by providing gainful employment and to wean them away from Podu or shifting cultivation.

The development plan for the tribal region includes preserving existing forests by opting for shade grown coffees, provide basic amenities like housing, medical and other support to the tribals in the coffee plantations and diversify sources of income through cultivation of coffee-based intercrops like pepper.