Deadly pest outbreak threatens Koraput coffee cultivation, farmers fear major crop loss

Coffee growers in Odisha’s Koraput district are staring at a new crisis as the Coffee Berry Borer, a destructive foreign pest, threatens to spread into their plantations. The insect bores into coffee berries and feeds on the beans inside, leaving the fruit rotten and drastically lowering quality.

The outbreak has already been reported in the Araku region of Andhra Pradesh, just 10 km from Koraput’s border. Concerned by the rapid spread, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued an alert and launched training sessions for farmers on preventive measures. Nearly 500 experts, including Coffee Board specialists, agricultural scientists, and field officers, have been deployed to contain the infestation.

In contrast, Koraput’s coffee farmers—particularly in Pottangi, Nandapur, and Lamptaput blocks—say little action has been taken by Odisha authorities so far. Farmers recall earlier assurances of training and protective steps, but no concrete measures have reached the ground.

In Kotiyaguda village under Padmapur Panchayat, where around 50 families cultivate coffee on nearly 40 acres, farmers expressed deep anxiety. “We’ve heard about the pest and are worried. If it spreads here, our livelihoods will be wiped out,” they said, appealing for urgent government intervention.

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Reports from Andhra suggest that acre after acre of plantations in Araku have already been devastated. While the Coffee Board of India has clarified that the pest has not yet entered Koraput, officials say strict vigilance is being maintained along the border.

Koraput coffee enjoys both national and international recognition for its rich flavour, grown across 2,759 hectares in villages along the Andhra border. With plantations now in full bloom, the looming threat of the Coffee Berry Borer has left both farmers and officials on edge.