By Anup Biswas

Haflog : Coffee growers of Gujung in particular and of Dima Hasao in general appealed to the government agencies involved in Coffee plantation and development for assistance to continue their age-old practice of coffee cultivation.

As a part of programs for settlement of Jhumias in hill districts of Assam, Coffee and Rubber plantations had been established extensively in early days by Soil Conservation Department.

However, after the formation of Assam Plantation Crops Development Corporation, Soil Conservation Department has scaled down its activity in this field.

Another agency named Coffee Board is also in existence at Haflong since 80 but the condition of the growers is not encouraging.

Yapi Haji, Senior Liaison Officer, admitted that the coffee production in Dima Hasao is significant and the quality is also praiseworthy. She explained how the coffee board has been working for the development of coffee in the district.

After few years Assam Plantation Crops Development Corporation also disappeared for the reasons best known to it, following which condition of growers deteriorated as they were not provided with assistance.

Recalling their past activities during the cultivation they were very happy and the department were also very cooperative with the growers.  But as the time passed by no assistance or encouragement from any government agencies as such.

One Soumyajit Roy, Founder, Project Sankalp 90+ Indian Coffee, PVP, Tamilnadu, India talking to this correspondent said ‘We are currently working with farmers from Garo Hills of Meghalaya and Kodaikanal area of Tamilnadu known as Lower Palani Hills. About Dima Hasao coffee I am gathering information and visited 6 different villages in the region in the last two days which holds immense promise without doubt’.