Cabinet okays scheme to boost coffee plantation in 6 Odisha districts

Bhubaneswar: The state government will implement a scheme to promote coffee plantation in six districts of Odisha.

The state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today gave its approval to the ‘Coffee Plantation for Sustainable Livelihoods (CPSL)’ scheme in Odisha.

The scheme will be implemented in six districts—Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar and Gajapati, said Chief Secretary PK Jena while briefing the press soon after the Cabinet meeting.

At present, the state has around 10,000 acres under coffee plantation. The coffee plantation area in Odisha will be expanded by 10 times in a decade under the CPSL scheme, he added.

The state government will spend a sum of Rs 1144 crore from 2022-23 to 2026-27 fiscal under the scheme. As many as 50,000 farm families are likely to be benefitted by the CPSL scheme. The woman self-help groups (SHGs) will be involved in raising coffee nurseries in the six districts, said the Chief Secretary.

The scheme will be implemented by the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development under the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department.

Altogether 14 proposals of 12 departments got the Cabinet approval today, added the Chief Secretary.