By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, November 28, 2021: The Odisha government has plans to extend coffee cultivation to additional 5,000 hectares of and in Koraput district in the next five years.

This was announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while launching the distribution of smart health cards under BSKY (Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana) in Koraput and Nabarangpur districts on Saturday. Coffee cultivation has given a new identity to Koraput district. Organic coffee of Koraput has now become a global brand, Patnaik said.

Coffee cultivation in the district has provided better livelihood support to women and tribal people at large, he chief said.

Patnaik had in August said that the coffee procured from growers in Koraput district by Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL) will be sold by Tata Coffee across the country and abroad.

The company has agreed to keep the speciality and uniqueness of Koraput Coffee intact while selling it in the market, he had said.

A dedicated e-commerce platform was launched on October 1 to enhance the income of coffee farmers in the state on the occasion of International Coffee Day.

Speaking on BSKY, Patnaik said 12 lakh people of Koraput will get the benefit under the smart health card system. Similarly, 11.30 lakh people in Nabarangpur district will get the medical benefit of Rs 5 lakh under the BSKY, he said.

The chief minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth Rs 1,000 crore for Koraput and Rs 133 crore for Nabarangpur district.