Department of land resources Nagaland organised training programme on coffee plantation with expert from coffee board of India as resource persons.
On the occasion audio visual aid-on package and practices of coffee cultivation in Nagaland to help the coffee growers was released by director department of land resources, Hoto Yeptho, as the chief guest at I.G Stadium Multipurpose Hall Meriema, on Friday.
In his address, Hoto said coffee was a “failed crop” some 30 years back in Nagaland due to marketing issue. However, in the year 2011 and 2012 under the IWMP scheme, he said the trailed coffee plantation became a success in the state.
The director said the land resources department approached the coffee board of India and made coffee nursery and distributed it to the farmers and subsequently the department was made the nodal office for coffee by the government.
Hoto also highlighted the success story of rubber plantation in the state which was initiated by the department and expressed hope that coffee plantation would be another success story.
In his speech, joint director extension Guwahati, coffee board of India, Dr. V.R. Gudde Gowda, briefed the gathering on how coffee was first brought to India and planted at Karnataka state from Ethiopia Country by a pilgrimage during 17th century.
He said Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and that Nagaland state has lots of similarity with Vietnam. He added that if coffee growers in Nagaland also work hard then the state could become one of the largest coffee producers in the world.
Also speaking in the programme, joint director ( R) CCRI Balehonnur coffee board of India, Dr. C.G. Anand, said the coffee plantation would not affect any climatic condition as it grow under shade and that people would not need to cut down trees.
He said if people are more dedicated and put continuous effort for coffee plantation, Nagaland could produce one of the best quality and unique coffee in the world. He assured that there would be no marketing problem once the state starts producing coffee.
In a keynote address, LRD, district project officer, Kohima, Dr. Menuosietuo Tseikha, said audio visual aid-on package and practices of coffee cultivation in Nagaland was released by department to teach the farmers more about coffee plantation. He said so far 7, 60,000 coffee plant have been planted in Kohima district.
Dr. Tseikha said the department has brought expert resource persons from coffee board of India to teach the farmers and that coffee grower association would be formed for better set up and co-ordination in growing coffee in the district.
The programme was chaired by assistant inspector LRD Kohima Agnes while vote of thanks was proposed by WDT member LRD, Kimiyekato Shohe. In technical session Dr. C.G. Anand and Dr. Menuosietuo Tseikha were the resource persons. Hundred of coffee farmers from Kohima district attended the training session.