LRD determined on reviving Nagaland coffee cultivation

Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 8  

After the Land Resources Department (LRD) was assigned as the nodal department for revival of coffee in the state, officers of the department have been working towards creating awareness, getting first hand technical knowledge and disseminating it to the farmers.  

On Thursday, around 30 LRD officers led by Secretary, Y. Kikheto Sema and Director, Hoto Yeptho visited the Regional Coffee Research Station (RCRS) of the Coffee Board of India (CBI) at Chutianala, Diphu in Assam.  

The team was enlightened on aspects of growing coffee of two main species – Robusta and Arabica, by Coffee Scientist, Bijaya Barman, RCRS, Diphu. She clarified various doubts, feasibilities and the technicalities involved. Joint Director (Extension) CBI, Guwahati, Dr. V. R. Gudde Gowda and Deputy Director, P.P. Choudhary, CBI also took questions from the visiting team.  

Gowda spoke on feasibility of growing coffee in the state and encouraged officers to put in best efforts. He said the enthusiasm of the Secretary has been widely recognized by the CBI and assured all possible assistance to the State. He said once coffee has been properly nurtured to its producing stage, it can yield crop for 30-40 years and more than 100 years depending on the species and feasibility. Gowda further said CBI would visit the state once in two months if the farmers could meet the criteria of cultivating at least 1000 coffee plants per person in an area of one hectare.  

Informing that there was no dearth of funds, he stated: “in fact we are surrendering funds since there are less coffee farmers.” “We are ready to provide all technical, developmental and financial support to coffee growers but you have to be more enthusiastic,” he added.  

Kikheto meanwhile thanked the CBI for increasing coffee seed allocation to the state from 350 to 2400 and informed that the department was targeting to cover 4200 hectares with that allocation. He said that the 2400 seeds could produce 60 lakh coffee saplings. However, Kikheto talked about difficulty in sustaining and maintaining the crop since at the nursery stage alone, the cost of nurturing a single coffee sapling comes to Rs 12 per year, which comes to Rs 720 crores approximately for nurturing 60 lakh saplings in a year.  

He thus requested the CBI to assist farmers for the initial years by crediting the maintenance fund directly into the farmers’ account or through the department. He also urged the CBI to send a report to the LRD about the funds released to the farmers. He added that the current allocation of coffee seeds could provide employment to about 10, 000 people. The Secretary informed that the department has set a target to cover 50, 000 hectares with coffee by 2030, and that the CBI has written an assurance letter to the LRD to establish a Technical Evaluation Centre on Coffee in Nagaland.  

He meanwhile cautioned officers against imparting half-baked knowledge and improper technical skills to the farmers, since the department was determined to make coffee a resounding success in the state.  

Director, LRD, Hoto Yeptho meanwhile informed that the department was planning to establish a coffee nursery, and encouraged the officers to get proper knowledge during such field visits. The LRD team was also shown digging pits, planting, centering, topping etc. They were also shown how varieties of mixed cropping could be done along with coffee.