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Title: Need to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to allow plantation of Coffee in Forest Land in Andhra Pardesh-Laid.
(VISAKHAPATNAM) : As per the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the cultivation of coffee is defined as non-forestry activity and hence not permitted on forest land. Due to high summer temperature in Andhra Pradesh, coffee plantation requires heavy shade. But to this a good forest cover is maintained in coffee plantation in Andhra Pradesh. The agency areas of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts have good coffee plantations over 4000 hectares of forest land.
In request the Union Government to give exemption under Forest Conservation Act to grow coffee in the State of Andhra Pradesh. This will help to prevent shifting cultivation in forest areas, growth of tree cover on degraded forest land and will provide gainful employment to the local population. A request in this regard had already been submitted by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh.