Visakhapatnam: The growing discontent among coffee planters over non-payment by the government may emerge as an important election issue in Araku (ST) Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
YSR Congress is aiming to achieve a "hat trick" in the region, while ND is trying hard to snatch the seat from the ruling party.
In 2019, YSRCP candidate G Madhavi won the seat by a margin of over two lakh votes.
This time, the ruling party has fielded Dr Chetti Tanuja Rani, while former MP Kothapalli Geetha, who is a BJP candidate, was fielded by the NDA against it.
Geeta had won the seat on a YSRCP ticket in 2014 and later formed her own organisation, which merged with the BJP.CPI(M) also fielded P Appala Narasa as part of the INDI alliance, who could potentially split the opposition votes.
Situated at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, Araku claims to produce coffee beans with distinctive flavour, which has gained recognition both domestically and internationally.
The crop, which was initially introduced as an experiment in the early 2000s, is grown in no less than 2.30 lakh acres in the valley, producing over 15,000 tonnes of the commodity annually.
According to Gemmili China Babu, sarpanch of Sunkarmetta village in Arak area and a planter himself, plantations were first brought under MGNREGA and later the Center stopped increasing wages under it.
Despite the state government sending a proposal to the central government to reverse its earlier order, there has been no response.Apart from vendors and others, 2.15 lakh farmers in 10 mandals of Araku Lok Sabha constituency are dependent on coffee plantations.
China Babu said the plantation was done in 2000 and had gained momentum during the regime of former Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy. Subsequent governments also encouraged it as tribals started abandoning podu cultivation which is an ecological disaster.
Farmers are expected to get a total of Rs 18,800 per acre for three years from 2019 as incentives from ITDA.
“Despite several assurances from the authorities, from 2019 till date, dues amounting to more than Rs 60 crore are yet to be paid.There are more than 58,000 farmers who have not received the amount,'' he said.
Although ITDA officials collected account details of farmers who were supposed to receive the amount, nothing has been received so far.
V Abhishek, project officer, Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA Paderu), said it is not due, but the Center has removed coffee plantations from MNREGA several years ago.
“Agriculture activities come under MNREGA. However, the coffee plantation comes under commercial crops and hence it was removed,” the official said.Another ITDA official said they have already received Rs 5.5 crore towards the pending dues. But, it could not be released due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct due to the general elections.
Appala Narsa said that the issue of pending dues from the government is being raised in his election campaign.
Some farmers said that ITDA and the state government are providing assistance to the gardeners by providing free saplings and other equipment required for farming.
“The pending dues from the government are not a major issue.The real issue is to provide marketing opportunities to farmers who are forced to sell their produce at lower prices to middlemen and other traders,” said an official previously associated with ITDA.
Ram Kumar Verma, founder and CEO of “Native Araku Coffee”, which has outlets at eight airports in India, said his blend is famous in many places.
“We are buying about 100 tonnes of coffee beans from Araku farmers. We have our own grinding and blending facility in Visakhapatnam,” he said, adding that his brand is also sold online.
YSR Congress is aiming to achieve a "hat trick" in the region, while ND is trying hard to snatch the seat from the ruling party.
In 2019, YSRCP candidate G Madhavi won the seat by a margin of over two lakh votes.
This time, the ruling party has fielded Dr Chetti Tanuja Rani, while former MP Kothapalli Geetha, who is a BJP candidate, was fielded by the NDA against it.
Geeta had won the seat on a YSRCP ticket in 2014 and later formed her own organisation, which merged with the BJP.CPI(M) also fielded P Appala Narasa as part of the INDI alliance, who could potentially split the opposition votes.
Situated at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, Araku claims to produce coffee beans with distinctive flavour, which has gained recognition both domestically and internationally.
The crop, which was initially introduced as an experiment in the early 2000s, is grown in no less than 2.30 lakh acres in the valley, producing over 15,000 tonnes of the commodity annually.
According to Gemmili China Babu, sarpanch of Sunkarmetta village in Arak area and a planter himself, plantations were first brought under MGNREGA and later the Center stopped increasing wages under it.
Despite the state government sending a proposal to the central government to reverse its earlier order, there has been no response.Apart from vendors and others, 2.15 lakh farmers in 10 mandals of Araku Lok Sabha constituency are dependent on coffee plantations.
China Babu said the plantation was done in 2000 and had gained momentum during the regime of former Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy. Subsequent governments also encouraged it as tribals started abandoning podu cultivation which is an ecological disaster.
Farmers are expected to get a total of Rs 18,800 per acre for three years from 2019 as incentives from ITDA.
“Despite several assurances from the authorities, from 2019 till date, dues amounting to more than Rs 60 crore are yet to be paid.There are more than 58,000 farmers who have not received the amount,'' he said.
Although ITDA officials collected account details of farmers who were supposed to receive the amount, nothing has been received so far.
V Abhishek, project officer, Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA Paderu), said it is not due, but the Center has removed coffee plantations from MNREGA several years ago.
“Agriculture activities come under MNREGA. However, the coffee plantation comes under commercial crops and hence it was removed,” the official said.Another ITDA official said they have already received Rs 5.5 crore towards the pending dues. But, it could not be released due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct due to the general elections.
Appala Narsa said that the issue of pending dues from the government is being raised in his election campaign.
Some farmers said that ITDA and the state government are providing assistance to the gardeners by providing free saplings and other equipment required for farming.
“The pending dues from the government are not a major issue.The real issue is to provide marketing opportunities to farmers who are forced to sell their produce at lower prices to middlemen and other traders,” said an official previously associated with ITDA.
Ram Kumar Verma, founder and CEO of “Native Araku Coffee”, which has outlets at eight airports in India, said his blend is famous in many places.
“We are buying about 100 tonnes of coffee beans from Araku farmers. We have our own grinding and blending facility in Visakhapatnam,” he said, adding that his brand is also sold online.
