Coffee Board to undertake massive replantation drive

Chikmagalur, Karnataka, July 17 (UNI) The Coffee Board will mount a massive replantation drive from September this year to give a fillip to coffee production on a sustainable basis, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said.

Talking to newspersons who accompanied him during his tour of three Coffee growing districts in Karnataka recently for a first hand knowledge on the problems faced by planters in the state, he said replantation would take place in about 80,000 hectares over a ten-year period with 8,000 hectares covered in a year.

Apart from replacing aged plants, the drive would also help to eradicate 'White Stem Borer' disease, which drastically affects the production. In Chikmagalur alone, the production was reduced to 75 tonnes in 2007 from 125 tonnes during the previous year due to White Stem Borer, he informed.

He said to implement the massive replantation plan it was proposed to give a 'Special Purpose Coffee Package' which included subsidy to coffee growers.

Under the package, growers owning less than two hectares would be given 60 per cent subsidy by the ministry, 20 per cent as soft loan and 20 per cent contribution by the owner. Growers owning two to four hectares would be given 50 per cent subsidy, 30 per cent soft loan, 20 per cent contribution. For growers owning above four hectares and below 10 hectares 40 per cent subsidy, 30 per cent soft loan and 30 per cent contribution and it would be 20 per cent subsidy, 35 per cent soft loan and 45 per cent contribution by the grower.

Mr Ramesh said the fund allocation for the Coffee Board had been more than doubled in the eleventh plan from Rs 300 crore to Rs 750 crore.

To provide security and to overcome the problems faced by the small coffee growers, the minister suggested formation of associations on the lines of one formed for rubber growers in Kerala.

''The problems faced by the small farmers, besides weather condition, includes White Stem Borer which is rampant in Arabica plants. Formation of such associations would help during distress,'' he added.

UNI