A forester of Pachamalai showing one of the coffee plants raised on trial basis. Tribal residents of Pachamalai are now being trained for the first time in cultivating coffee as the soil is suited for the plantation. | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj more-in For tribal farmer D. Manivannan (47) of Machilapatti Pudur on Pachamalai Hills, coffee plantation was an unusual endeavour till two years ago. But, once he took to it, there has been no turning back. He is one of the 40 farmers who have raised coffee for the first time under the Tribal Development Project of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, being implemented through Hand-in-Hand, a non-governmental organisation. Representatives from the Coffee Board who visited the fields last month were impressed by the quality of coffee that they held a meeting with the coffee cultivators of Pachamalai and assured all possible assistance. Under the project, the coffee seedlings were brought from Kolli Hills, where coffee cultivation has been widely practised for decades. In fact, an exposure visit was conducted when the tribal farmers of Pachamalai understood the nuances of raising coffee and its monetary returns. The failure of monsoon has been a challenge. Mr. Manivannan said that he could irrigate the crop once a month. However, he is confident of harvesting the crop within six months. The red soil is suitable for coffee plantation and all over the Pachamalai, the soil is highly suitable for coffee. According to NABARD sources, work on developing coffee plantation was taken up on August 15, 2015 and seedlings of ‘Selection 9’ coffee variety were bought from the Government Orchard at Padasolai in Kolli Hills. The cultivation forms part of orchard development project of WADI. The project is being implemented on the entire Pahcamalai Hills which covers both Tiruchi and Salem districts. In all, 32 villages on Pachamalai, including 20 in Salem and 12 in Tiruchi district, have been covered. A team of officials from Coffee Board, led by Kartuhamani, Liaison Officer for the Board, Yercaud, visited Pachamalai and extended its incentive of ?10,000 each to 15 farmers of both Tiruchi and Salem districts. Mr. Suresh Kumar said that 77 tribal farmers had taken to coffee plantation. The yield of berries per plant was expected to be four kg and the price would be ? 60 per kg.

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