With Nagaland entering the world coffee map and Coffee Board of India recently rating Nagaland coffee as one of the best coffees in the world, Nagaland may soon emerge as one of the largest organic coffee producing States in the country.
And to enable people to have a taste of Nagaland coffee, the Land Resources department, nodal department for promotion/plantation of Coffee in the State, would soon establish coffee shops in all district headquarters in 2020-2021 even as the State has earmarked Rs. 2 crore for nursery to enhance coffee production.
This was stated by Planning & Co-ordination, Land Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs minister Neiba Kronu during an interaction with a section of media persons at his residence here.
He said the land resources department had brought 8,000 hectares of land under coffee plantation till date, and it was expected that over 3,000 metric tons of coffee would be harvested annually in the next five years.
The minister revealed that the department had set a target to bring 50,000 hectares of land under coffee plantation by 2027, as envisaged in Nagaland Vision 2030 document, with an objective to provide economic benefits to rural farming communities with support of the government by engaging them.
Along with water resources adviser Namri Nchang and treasuries & accounts and national highways adviser Dr Longrineken, Kronu had toured Myanmar and Laos from August 19 to 27, 2019 to study coffee plantations in these countries, besides exploring tourism opportunities.
Realising its vast potential, the minister opined that farmers must take up coffee farming on a large scale so that the State’s revenue could be increased manifold in the next few years.
He said though the Indo-Naga political issue was yet to be settled, daily activities must go on to improve the State’s economy.
He remarked that even if the State government gave jobs to all educated unemployed, Nagaland would still lag behind as its economy would not grow.
And as the State already had huge farming potential, Kronu said Nagaland coffee and honey could enter the world market as demand for coffee would never go down, adding there was huge demand for coffee in European countries too.
He said protecting environment was everyone’s concern and coffee, which required trees, would not damage the environment.
He also mentioned that areca nut (tamul), black pepper and bamboo could fetch good market and help enhance the State’s economy.
Kronu exuded confidence that Nagaland could become a hub for coffee and honey, which in turn could become a tourist attraction.
The minister said coffee seeds sponsored by the UN were expected to reach Nagaland by March, which would be distributed to coffee growers.
Meanwhile, Dr Longri said Coffee Board of India had failed the farmers during 1980s, which discouraged farmers from taking up coffee plantation. However, now that market linkage had been set up, Nagas could take up coffee plantation on a large scale, he averred.
He stressed that the Nagas had to go back to their roots and take up farming as there was huge market potential unlike the earlier years.
On his part, Nchang said Nagas must have dignity of labour as government could not provide government jobs to all.
After signing of MoU with Noble Cause, South Africa in 2017, he said the department had exported 27.5 metric tonne of coffee till 2019 (three consecutive years).