he Forest Department and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development have taken up an innovative project to promote coffee plantation on Pachamalai Hills.
The pilot programme is implemented under the NABARD’s Tribal Development Project (WADI) for the uplift of tribal farmers at an estimate of Rs. 6.99 crore including a grant of Rs. 5.85 crore and a loan of Rs. 1.14 crore.
“We came across a few farmers taking to coffee plantation and we came up with a comprehensive plan under our orchard development project of WADI to promote coffee plantation in an organised manner,” said S. Suresh Kumar, District Development Manager, NABARD, Tiruchi, explaining the provisions of WADI being implemented in Tiruchi and Salem districts of Pachamalai hills by a Kancheepuram-based non-governmental organisation, Hand in Hand.
Ideal for coffee
Mr. Suresh Kumar said that Pachamalai was found to be ideal place for developing coffee plantation.
The soil, the shady-area in orchards and other fields are ideally suitable.
Moreover, the NABARD, under its WADI project, planned to bring about a change in the cropping pattern of tribal farmers who largely depended on tapioca cultivation.
“Although tapioca crop fetched assured returns to the farmers, coffee plantation would bring more revenue to them,” he also said.
Work on developing coffee plantations commenced on August 15 and seedlings of ‘Selection 9’ coffee variety had been brought from the Government Orchard at Padasolai in Kolli Hills.
The seedlings are being distributed to farmers of Kundakadi, Puthur, Solamaththi, Nachilipatti, Boothakaal, Keezhakarai and Thaneerpallam (all in Tiruchi district of Pachamalai) and Periyapakkalam, Chinnapakkalam ,Chinnamangalam and Nallamaththi (all in the Salem district of the hills). C. Karunanidhi, Forester of Pachamalai, said that the hill was best suitable for raising coffee.
First phase
In the first phase, it has been planned to develop coffee plantation on 20 acres. Based on its success, it will be expanded to a larger area, said Mr. Suresh Kumar.
In all, 32 villages on Pachamalai, including 20 in Salem and 12 in Tiruchi district, have been covered so far under the coffee plantation scheme under WADI. It has been estimated that the annual income per acre would be Rs. 2 lakhs from the third year of its growth.
Exposure tour
Tribal farmers from Pachamalai were taken on an exposure tour of coffee plantation units in Kolli Hills,
Only 20 villages have been identified so far because shade-giving trees were available only in these clusters.

Source : The Hindu