Bhubaneswar: Odisha cabinet approves new scheme— Coffee Plantation for Sustainable Livelihood— worth Rs 1144 crore to increase coffee plantation to 1 lakh acres in next 10 years; scheme meant for six districts.
Coffee has emerged as one of the most profitable commercial crops among the farmers of the state due to its encouraging prospects on financial benefits and rebuilding of ecosystem. Odisha has a high potential for commercial coffee cultivation due to its ideal agro-climatic conditions that can provide a viable altemative to traditional cropping pattems of tribal areas. The scheme “Coffee Plantation for Sustainable Livelihoods (CPSL)” will be implemented in six districts of the state namely Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar and Gajapati. The existing State Coffee area of 10,000 acres is programmed to be expanded by 10 times in a period of 10 years. Women SHGs will be involved in raising coffee nurseries and more than 50,000 farm families will be benefited from the Scheme.
The State Cabinet has approved the above proposal for implementation. It envisages an expenditure of Rs. 1144.00 Cr from 2022-23 to 2026-27, out of which Rs. 567.00 Cr will be met through State Plan and Rs. 577.00 Cr will be met through convergence with other Schemes. Beyond the initial period of five years, value addition and marketing aspects will also be included in the scheme. This Scheme will be implemented by the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development under Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department. During Implementation period, the Directorate will also collaborate with quality resource organisations like Coffee Board and others for productivity enhancement, capacity building, infrastructure and brand development.
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