Koraput, Odisha – Once a landscape of rocky gullies and wild terrain, the foothills of Deomali in Odisha’s Koraput district are now the heartland of a silent agricultural revolution—thanks to a botanist-turned-farmer, Pradeep Kumar Mohanty.
In 1987, Mohanty initiated Koraput’s first organized coffee plantation. Spanning 72 hectares, his farm now produces 45 tonnes of coffee annually and serves as the face of “Koraput Coffee”—a brand slowly gaining national recognition. While Odisha’s soil conservation department had introduced coffee as early as the 1960s, the effort lacked professional continuity. Mohanty filled that gap with a long-term vision and scientific farming methods.
Affectionately known as the “Coffee Budha” among locals, Mohanty’s work has not only transformed agriculture but also the lives of tribal communities in Sundhiput and Nuaput. His initiatives extend beyond farming—he’s trained villagers in healthcare practices, discouraged quackery, and provided stable employment.
Mohanty’s journey wasn’t without struggle. Operating without basic infrastructure like roads and electricity, and with banks unwilling to finance his vision, he initially survived by growing lentils and vegetables. Eventually, a partial bank loan helped scale up his operation.
More significantly, Mohanty’s mission has inspired a wave of local and urban farmers to take up coffee cultivation. This led to the formation of the Orissa Coffee Growers’ Association, a collective pushing for the expansion of coffee farming across potential-rich districts like Keonjhar, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kalahandi, and Phulbani.
Despite these efforts, Odisha’s total coffee production stands at a modest 250 tonnes annually—too little for independent export. “We still depend on handlers from Bangalore,” says Mohanty. “But with government support, Odisha has everything needed to become the coffee hub of India.”
He points out that traditional coffee states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu face saturation due to land and labor costs. Odisha, by contrast, offers ample land and lower operational costs—a compelling case for investment.
“It’s the right time,” insists Mohanty. “We’ve done the groundwork. Now, the government just needs to believe in our brew.”