Tata Coffee has decided to market the beans produced in tribal-dominated Koraput district of Odisha across the country and abroad, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said.

Appreciating the effort of Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL), Patnaik said that Tata Coffee will procure the produce from Koraput and market it by maintaining its uniqueness without tampering with its quality or flavour.

He said that the move will lead to prosperity among coffee farmers in the district.

The chief minister praised Sulochana Khar of Kasampadar village for her contribution towards the expansion of coffee farming in the district. Khar has been a source of inspiration for others as a successful coffee farmer who has sold over 200 kg of beans to TDCCOL, Patnaik said.

The state government has granted 46,000 acres of forest land under Forest Rights Act to tribals till June this year for coffee plantation, an official said.

In the 2020-21 fiscal, the TDCCOL had collected 28,790 kg of coffee beans from 193 farmers in the district.

The state government is targeting to bring another 80 hectares of land under coffee plantation and has imparted skill-enhancement training to farmers, he added.