Wayanad District Collector A. Geetha felicitated progressive coffee planters who have set models for other coffee farmers in the state during the Field Day function of the Coffee Board at Kalpetta on Tuesday. , Photo Credit: EM Manoj
Wayanad District Magistrate A Geeta has said that the carbon neutral park proposed in the district will become a reality this year.
Inaugurating the field day celebrations of the Coffee Board, which resumed after 22 years, at its technology evaluation center at Onivayal in the district on Tuesday, Ms. Geeta said the government had announced setting up of a proposed 100-acre park at Warayad. Four years ago and allocated a budgetary provision of Rs 150 crore for the first phase of the project.
Sushri Geeta said that now it has been decided to implement the project in different parts of the district according to the availability of land.
The Collector said that the district administration has constituted a committee comprising members of the Coffee Board to identify between 15 and 20 acres of suitable land in the district for the project and start organic cultivation of coffee. The committee will identify the land in a month or two.
Ms Geeta said the proposed park would have a processing unit and a marketing facility to sell the produce. The concerns of coffee farmers will be addressed while setting up the park. He informed that an expert team from Netherlands had approached the district administration and had shown interest in procuring organic coffee and bringing it to the market.
Coffee growers complain that the interference of middlemen adversely affects the sector as the berries are harvested before ripening on the rented land of small growers, and this affects the quality of coffee beans, with the support of the Board officials Will be addressed appropriately, said the Collector.
The function was presided over by Suresh Arimunda, Member, Coffee Board.
During the field visit, Dr. M. Karuthamani, Joint Director, Extension, Coffee Board, and Dr. George Daniel, Deputy Director, Research, Coffee Board, apprised the farmers about the latest technologies in coffee cultivation and ways to improve coffee production. Told in The experts conducted various sessions on coffee cultivation. Progressive coffee planters who proved their mettle were felicitated on the occasion.