Post News Network
Koraput, July 31: A coffee processing unit would be set up at a horticulture department-owned farm in Sunebeda, state horticulture director Sushanta Nanda Thursday said here during his two-day visit to the district.
He was in the district to review the initiatives undertaken by the department. Nanda asked the farmers about the problems they faced in production and sale of their produce while visiting several government and private farms. He inspected an apple and spice farm in Laxmipur block. Later, accompanied by deputy director Lingaraj Acharya, Nanda visited a coffee farm owned by Sujay Pradhan at Chhotaguda .
Several farmers of the area were assembled there to hold discussions with the director. During the meeting, the growers apprised Nanda of the problems in coffee and black pepper farming. Lalatendu Deo, a farmer of the area, stressed the need for having a coffee processing plant. To this, the horticulture director announced that a coffee processing unit would be set up in Sunabeda.
Two other farmers, Sujay Pradhan and Iswar Panigrahi alleged they don’t get proper guidance from the department even as they have taken up black pepper and cardamom farming under the shades of other trees. Other farmers opined that the growers would be benefited if a research centre is set up in the district.
Nanda said a workshop comprising the local farmers would be conducted in the area and the spice growers would be given all assistance in this regard. Coffee farmers Utkal Ranjan Nayak, Shyamdev Singh, Umakanta Nayak Burma, Trilochan Satpathy and Tripurari Garada were present during the meeting.