Ramgiri: A coffee farm here in Gajapati district is lying in a shambles due to alleged apathy of the state government, a report said Monday.
The 50-acre farm, established in 1972 near Ramgiri-Tabarsingh Road, ran under the direct supervision of the State Soil Conservation Department.
The farm had carved a niche for itself by growing high quality coffee beans. The farm, after its establishment, produced 40 quintals of coffee for the first time in 1989-90 fiscal and transported it to RK Valley.
The farm even had the reputation of hosting the then Governor CM Poonacha and Ganjam Collector Rajlakshmi who visited it in 1978 and planted black pepper saplings there.
The picturesque surroundings of the farm with its coffee plantation as well as large trees like eucalyptus, date palms, litchi, jackfruit and timber trees such as Sal, Piasal and Teak used to enthral the visitors.
It was then said that the farm was so dense with green cover that even the sunlight failed to permeate the ground. The farm had also become a natural habitat for wild animals and birds like wild boars and deer due to its close proximity to nearby Dantari jungle.
However, as the Soil Conservation Department lost its existence, the farm also lost its charm with coffee and black pepper plants vanishing.
It is believed that the Soil Conservation Department despite being there has stopped looking after the farm, pushing it to the brink.
The large trees which once used to add to the beauty of the farm have also vanished after being felled by the timber smugglers. Many people have also encroached upon the farm land with a stone quarry coming up inside.
Observers claim that the farm can regain its lost glory if the state government sanctions funds and works towards renovating it with sincerity.
When contacted, a staffer of the Soil Conservation Department on condition of anonymity said that the farm could be renovated when funds are sanctioned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
PNN
