Lok Sabha Question No. 56 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-02
Subject: Damage to Coffee Plantations
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Prajwal Revanna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 56 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  FEBRUARY, 2022

## DAMAGE TO COFFEE PLANTATIONS

## 56. SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  distress  of  coffee  growers  due  to  double whammy of unseasonal heavy rains in the midst of a harvesting season and loss of coffee plants  and  bean  in  Malnad  districts  of  Karnataka  namely  Kodagu,  Chikmagalur  and particularly in Sakleshpur, Alur blocks of Hassan a major coffee growing region of the country;
- (b) if so, the details of loss of crop area due to landslide and heavy rain, district-wise;
- (c) whether it is a fact that the Government is paying meagre compensation of Rs. 6000 per acre  to  the  distressed  coffee  planters,  if  so,  the  details  and  the  steps  taken  by  the Government to pay adequate compensation to farmers keeping in view of increased cost of labour , fertilizers, chemicals, etc.;
- (d) whether the Government has any plan to waive off loan borrowed by the coffee planters and announce special package to protect the interest of distressed farmers; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

- (a) & ( b ) : Untimely rain in the coffee growing regions has caused damage to the standing coffee crop as well as hampered harvesting and processing of Arabica crop . Region wise crop loss of Arabica reported in the month of November 2021 is as under :

| District       | No . of growers   | Total extent under coffee in ( Ha .)   | Loss of production ( MT )   |
|----------------|-------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Chikkamagaluru | 15368             | 49300                                  | 11500                       |
| Hassan         | 10554             | 26027                                  | 3995                        |
| Kodagu         | 7456              | 24103                                  | 7645                        |
| Grand Total    | 33,378            | 99,430                                 | 23,140                      |

The details of crop loss in taluks of Hassan district is as under :

| Name of the taluk   |   No . of growers |   Total extent under coffee in ( Ha .) |   Loss of production ( MT ) |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Sakaleshpur         |              4454 |                                   9840 |                        2380 |
| Alur                |              1935 |                                   5293 |                        1095 |
| Belur               |              3759 |                                  10160 |                         320 |
| Arakalgud           |               406 |                                    734 |                         200 |
| Total               |             10554 |                                  26027 |                        3995 |

Source

Coffee Board

:

- (c) : The financial assistance of Rs . 18,000 / Ha . is extended by the District Administration under NDRF / SDRF, where the crop loss is 33 % and above subject to a ceiling of 2Ha . per  farmer . In  addition,  Coffee  Board  through  its  scheme  'Integrated  Coffee Development Project' has provided financial assistance amounting to  Rs.159.86 crores during  the  last  three  years  i.e.    2018-19  to  2020-21  (up  to  December  2021)  under various  interventions  such  as  technology  transfer,  capacity  building,  support  to mechanization of estates, coffee area development, market development, support to value  addition  and    research  &  development  etc.  for  overall  improvement  of production,  productivity and quality  of coffee.
- (d) & ( e ) : Guidelines issued by RBI on 17 . 10 . 2018 provides for restructuring of loans due to natural calamities . Further, Interest Subvention Scheme  is already being implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare which covers short term loans upto 3 lakhs at effective rate of 4 % per annum for coffee plantation sector . At present, no proposal for loan waiver or special package for coffee plantation sector is under consideration .

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