Coffee Development Programme in North Eastern Region: Quality Upgradation / Certification: Drying Yards

What is the Coffee Development Programme drying yards support?

The Coffee Development Programme in the North Eastern Region, Quality Upgradation / Certification: Drying Yards; is a support component of the Coffee Board of India, a statutory body under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is part of the Integrated Coffee Development Project aimed at expanding and improving coffee cultivation in the North Eastern states.

According to the Coffee Board, the drying yards component offers a 75% capital subsidy to help tribal coffee growers build cement drying yards on their holdings. A proper drying yard lets growers dry their coffee cherries and parchment evenly and cleanly, which raises the quality and market price of the crop and reduces spoilage compared with drying on bare ground.

The unit cost and subsidy depend on the size of the holding:

• Up to 2 hectares, unit cost Rs 15,000, subsidy about Rs 11,250.
• 2 hectares and above — unit cost Rs 45,000, subsidy about Rs 33,750.

The grower meets the remaining 25% of the cost. The subsidy is a one-time capital support tied to actually constructing the yard, not a cash grant.

Who is eligible for the drying yards subsidy?

You can apply if:

• You are a coffee grower in the North Eastern Region, typically a tribal grower, with a coffee holding.
• You have land records for the holding, certified by the local authority.
• You have not already availed the same drying yard benefit in the earlier plan period.
• You are able to construct the drying yard to the prescribed specification and submit a completion report.

You cannot apply if:

• Your holding is outside the North Eastern Region; growers in traditional areas such as Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are served by other components of the Coffee Board's schemes.
• You have already received this specific subsidy for the same holding.
• You cannot provide certified land records or a valid bank account for the transfer.

This is a grower-level support scheme, so an individual coffee cultivator can apply on their own behalf. It is not open to traders or processors who do not cultivate coffee.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the drying yards subsidy

The scheme is administered offline through the Coffee Board's extension network. To apply:

1. Contact your local Coffee Board extension office in the North Eastern Region and obtain the prescribed application form.
2. Fill the form and attach your land records, photo identity and bank details, and submit it in duplicate to the extension office.
3. The Extension Officer scrutinises the documents and carries out a field inspection of your holding.
4. After verification the application is forwarded to the Joint Director (Extension) for sanction.
5. Construct the cement drying yard to the prescribed specification and submit a work completion report.
6. On verification of the completed work, the subsidy is released by electronic fund transfer (EFT) to your bank account.

Because the subsidy is paid after construction against a completion report, keep proof of your spending and follow the specification the extension office provides.

How much benefit does the scheme provide?

The subsidy is 75% of the unit cost of the drying yard. For a holding up to 2 hectares the unit cost is Rs 15,000, giving a subsidy of about Rs 11,250; for a holding of 2 hectares and above the unit cost is Rs 45,000, giving a subsidy of about Rs 33,750. The grower funds the remaining 25%. The benefit is one-time and specific to building the drying yard.

Help and where to apply

• Coffee Board head office: 080-22266991, Bengaluru
• Official website: coffeeboard.gov.in
• Apply through: your nearest Coffee Board extension office in the North Eastern Region

Exact unit costs, specifications and the current plan-period rules can change, so confirm the latest figures with your extension office before you begin construction. This drying yards support is one of several quality-upgradation components, pulpers and eco/organic certification support are covered under related sub-schemes of the same North Eastern programme.