The new coffee project has been planned with a budget of over ₹1,000 crore, considering the success of the earlier ₹526 crore coffee development project launched in 2015, which is scheduled to end in 2024–25.
The project will involve not only cultivating coffee but also planting silver oak trees across 75,000 acres to provide shade for the coffee plants.— Internet
Visakhapatnam :
AP government has approved a new coffee development project under which coffee plantations will be raised over one lakh acres in the Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district.
The new project is aimed at socio-economic uplift of tee tribal communities. According to Coffee Board of India additional director G. Appala Naidu, the project will help approximately 150,000 tribal farmers grow coffee over the next seven years.
The project will involve not only cultivating coffee but also planting silver oak trees across 75,000 acres to provide shade for the coffee plants.
The new coffee project has been planned with a budget of over ₹1,000 crore, considering the success of the earlier ₹526 crore coffee development project launched in 2015, which is scheduled to end in 2024–25.
“Raising over ₹1,000 crore for the new project poses challenges. We are making adjustments to raise the necessary resources,” ITDA project officer Abhishek Goud told Deccan Chronicle in an interview.
Since its introduction in 1989, coffee cultivation has been transforming tribal areas, helping curb deforestation and practises like shifting cultivation. Over the years, the combined efforts of state and central governments have resulted in coffee plantations coming up over 242,021 acres, benefiting 236,618 tribal farmers. With ancestral farmers cultivating coffee over approximately 30,000 acres, the tribal region boasts of having 272,000 acres under coffee cultivation.
Each acre generates an annual income of ₹50,000 to ₹60,000, making coffee farming a lucrative and sustainable livelihood option. Moreover, the organic nature of the coffee produced in the region has sparked both domestic and international demand, boosting the region’s economy.
During the recent Collectors’ Conference in Amaravati, ASR district collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar presented detailed insights into this initiative. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, present at the conference, approved the coffee area expansion plan. A detailed project report (DPR) is currently under preparation to ensure a smooth rollout of the programme.
With this expansion, the state government aims to solidify the tribal region’s reputation as a hub for producing high-quality organic coffee. Tribal farmers have welcomed the new project, expressing optimism about the continued government support.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Southern States> Andhra Pradesh / by Aruna / April 05th, 2025
