Bhawanipatna: After a long hiatus, coffee cultivation has made a comeback in Kalahandi district, a report said Saturday. The matter came to the fore after the state government issued an order directing the district Collector to take necessary steps in this regard. After receiving the order, the watershed officials were called and directed to undertake coffee cultivation.
Notably, 300 acre of land has been taken up for the cultivation of the cash crop in the first phase. Coffee saplings are being produced on 200 acre of land for transplantation at a later stage.
The state government has restarted the coffee cultivation in Kalahandi district with an aim to provide social security to the residents of tribal-dominated regions in the district. In a phased manner the cultivation will be taken up on more land and spread to other areas.
Coffee cultivation has started at Kanigumma, Badabafla in Gopinathpur panchayat, Upar Chabri and Mahulapatna in Mahulapatna panchayat of Thuamul Rampur block.
Farmers interested in coffee cultivation have been asked to form a producers’ group which will then be engaged in cultivation by a soil conservation committee of Watershed department.
The cultivation will be implemented under rural job scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) by district watershed mission and coffee board with funds available from the district mineral foundation (DMF).
Farming coffee will help the local tribal farmers earn their livelihood. It will also financially empower the local women self-help groups (SHGs) as they will be engaged to look after the maintenance of the coffee gardens.
Sources said the western Odisha district had shot to fame in and outside the state after the state government undertook coffee cultivation in tribal-dominated Thuamul-Rampur block of the district in 1980. However, the initial euphoria was shortlived and coffee cultivation was soon pushed to extinction due to lack of awareness among the tribal people. Over 20 coffee trees still stand tall on roadside of Thuamul-Rampur today and bear testimony to the erstwhile coffee cultivation in this district.
Meanwhile, coffee produced in Koraput district has carved a niche for itself both inside the country as well as in foreign countries. Koraput coffee is gaining appreciation among coffee lovers for its unique flavor and aroma. The coffee produced in Koraput has been able to gain acceptance due to existence of proper marketing facilities ensured by the state government.
When contacted, project director Prasanna Pradhan of Watershed department said that the farmers are being provided with free saplings by the state government for cash crop cultivation. The programme when successful will lead to financial development in the area and bring about a turnaround in the fortune of the local farmers and women of SHGs, he added.
PNN