Naidu asks officials to promote coffee production

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked officials to take steps to increase coffee production to one lakh acres in the State. Out of the existing 58,000 hectors of coffee cultivation in the State, nearly 55,000 hectors of coffee plantations are located in the Visakhapatnam agency areas.

The Chief Minister's direction has come while reviewing the coffee production in the State on Sunday, with former Coffee Board chairman Krishna Rao. Chandrababu Naidu was informed that though the climatic conditions of the region was conducive to increase coffee production in the area, the same could not be done due to the backwardness and non-usage of modern technologies in the coffee production. Following this, the Chief Minister had asked the officials to take steps to introduce the best practices to increase productivity by deploying modern technologies. He also asked the officials to create awareness on scientific methods among the coffee growers, through skill upgradation programme in coffee cultivation.

He said that increasing coffee output in the Vizag agency areas would not only uplift and empower lives of tribal populace financially and socially, but it also would build a branding to AP in coffee productivity.

While Karnataka cultivates an average of 700kg per hectare, output of coffee plantations in Visakha agency area stands as low as 170 kg per hectare.