Coffee yield from the non-traditional growing areas of Andhra Pradesh is expected to be higher this year as the area under cultivation has gone up by about 8,800 hectares during the past two years or so.
Coffee is grown in the 11 agency mandals of Visakhapatnam district in the eastern ghats.
The expected yield from Andhra Pradesh is 9,990 tonnes and from Odisha (the hilly region of the border areas of Koraput district) is 650 tonnes, according to A P Ananta Kumar, Joint Director of the Coffee Board.
The Coffee Board supplies quality certified seeds from its coffee farms at RV Nagar and Minumuluru (at Chintapalli). Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) is the implementing agency for coffee cultivation.
The total extent under coffee cultivation in AP (in the hilly areas of Visakhapatnam district) was 71,356 hectares, and in Odisha (extended hilly areas of Koraput district), 4,239 hectares. Arabica, which is a better variety and high quality coffee, is best suited for the climatic conditions of the region.
In 2016-17, the total coffee production was 10,450 tonnes, of which 9,800 tonnes were from Visakhapatnam Agency areas and 650 tonnes were from Odisha. Coffee crop follows ‘on’ and ‘off’ pattern, which means if the yield is high one year, it would be low in the next.
Ananta Kumar said, "This is an ‘off year’ for coffee production but we expect a higher yield as new area has been added under coffee cultivation in the agency areas of Visakhapatnam district."
ITDA had added 4,000 hectares during 2016-17 and 4,800 hectares in 2017-18 under coffee cultivation in the district.
Coffee provides sustainable income to tribal farmers. In addition, they get additional income from silver oak, grown to provide shade to the coffee plants, and black pepper, which is grown as an inter-crop.
“The Coffee Board in collaboration with ITDA is involved in expansion, consolidation, quality upgrading and capacity building. The schemes, being extended to coffee growers, had ended on the conclusion of the Twelfth Plan in March, 2017. The board has sent a proposal to the Government of India for continuation of the schemes,” Ramesh, Deputy Director in-charge of the Coffee Board, said.