30,000 coffee saplings to be planted in Dakshina Kannada: Brijesh Chowta

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta on Saturday announced that coffee cultivation will be introduced in the district as an alternative to areca nut plantations severely affected by yellow leaf disease.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Bolpu – A dawn of opportunities’, Chowta said around 30,000 coffee saplings will be planted across the district this month.

“I have been in discussions with the Union Agriculture and Commerce Ministers regarding the impact of yellow leaf disease on arecanut plantations in areas like Sullia, Belthangady, Puttur, and Kadaba. Once the plantation is hit by the disease, it becomes extremely difficult to grow arecanut again on the same soil,” he said.

A soil test was conducted in the affected areas to assess the viability of coffee cultivation, and the results have shown promising potential. “Some farmers are already growing coffee in the region, and now we have scientific data to promote coffee cultivation in a systematic way,” he added.

Drawing inspiration from Araku Coffee in Andhra Pradesh—an initiative launched under CM N Chandrababu Naidu, known for its focus on sustainability, tribal empowerment, and innovation - Chowta said, “If Andhra Pradesh can build a successful model around Araku coffee, we too can develop our own identity in coffee cultivation.”

He also said he has held discussions with the Coffee Board and local cooperative societies in Sullia and Kadaba. A few farmers are currently undergoing training in established coffee-growing regions.

In addition, Chowta said he recently met with the Israeli ambassador to explore small-scale farming solutions. “With limited land availability in coastal Karnataka, we aim to empower local women by promoting backyard polyhouse farming of exotic fruits and vegetables. Women can come together, form cooperatives, and utilise even 50 cents of land to meet market demand through collective farming,” he said.

Bolpu

The MP said the Bolpu initiative aimed at empowering startups, budding entrepreneurs, and early-stage ventures in the district. The programme provides a comprehensive support ecosystem—including funding, mentorship, market access, and continuous advisory on government schemes—to help entrepreneurs build, launch, and scale innovative products and services that can thrive locally and expand nationally and globally.

Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Capt Chowta said that his election manifesto included a task sheet titled "Nava Yuga Nava Patha to reignite the spirit of entrepreneurship in the region.

“After returning from the Army, I wanted to be part of the transformative journey that India is undergoing. Many second-generation entrepreneurs here face challenges and end up in tech jobs in Bengaluru or elsewhere,” he said.

He added that the Bolpu initiative would support new ideas and help ventures create success stories in the coming years, with a special focus on empowering women entrepreneurs.

“Through Bolpu, our endeavour is to create at least 50 success stories in the next five years. At a time when Mangaluru is often in the news for the wrong reasons, we must present our own models of success and showcase them to the world,” he said.

As part of the initiative Bolpu, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) was signed with The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE), Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other partners.