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Koraput: With coffee berry borer (CBB), a pest affecting coffee, recently spotted in a few patches of plantations in Araku region of bordering Andhra Pradesh, the Coffee Board in Koraput district has assured local growers that the insect has not spread to Odisha.“We urge coffee growers not to panic as the borer has not been detected in Koraput district or in Araku areas bordering Koraput. Necessary precautionary measures should, however, be taken to contain the pest,” said Upendra Kumar Saha, senior liaison officer of the board (Koraput).A special team was formed to assess the situation and the pest was not found both in Koraput or the bordering region. CBB, first reported in 1990, is found in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka but hasn’t been seen in Odisha or Andhra Pradesh until now. “As coffee from Andhra and Odisha has gained wide demand, with traders from across the country procuring beans from the region, the pest might have reached Araku during such transactions,” Saha said.Saha said the pest damages coffee beans, spreading gradually through plantations. In parts of Araku, the infestation is of low intensity. To curb its spread, growers are being advised to harvest timely and thoroughly, collect leftover and off-season berries, use picking mats during harvest to reduce gleanings, and process infested fruits by either boiling or burying them at least 20 inches deep.According to the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), severe infestation can cause crop losses of 30-80%. In Koraput, coffee is cultivated over nearly 7,000 hectares in areas like Semiliguda, Dasmantpur and Laxmipur, mostly by tribal women’s self-help groups. The region produces about 600 tonnes of coffee annually, valued at Rs 30 crore at current market prices.
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