Dimapur: Nagaland adviser to land resources department G Ikuto Zhimomi on Tuesday said the state currently has 10,200 hectares of land under coffee plantation whereas it was around 145 hectares before 2014.
Addressing the International Coffee Day organised by the directorate of land resources in its Kohima office premises on the theme ‘Collaboration for a better tomorrow,’ Zhimomi said though coffee plantation in Nagaland was taken up during the 1970s and 1990s, not much progress was achieved at that point of time.
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He said the Coffee Board of India partnered with the state land resources department in 2014 to revive coffee plantations in Nagaland.
Zhimomi emphasised promoting Nagaland coffee across the districts by creating cafes and bars offering world-class coffee at reasonable prices.
He also encouraged the youth to take up coffee entrepreneurship seriously, keeping in view its scope for employment and economic growth of the people.
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Zhimomi urged the land resources department and Coffee Board of India to continue their initiatives of promoting coffee development in the state, support the coffee farmers and work towards taking Nagaland coffee to greater heights.
International Coffee Day being celebrated in Kohima on Tuesday
He said the department has been actively supporting coffee development at all levels such as area expansion, post-harvest processing, roasting of coffee beans and also providing barista training to the youth interested in the art of coffee making.
He added that the department, being the nodal agency for coffee development in the state, has put in a lot of effort in collaboration with the Coffee Board of India to promote coffee plantations and coffee-based entrepreneurs to generate employment opportunities.
In his keynote address, commissioner and secretary of land resources Kevekha Kevin Zehol said Nagaland is fortunate as the coffee crop can be grown in any part of the state.
Sharing his experience, a coffee grower from Wokha district Yanthungo said the farmers started growing coffee after being encouraged by the department and delivery of coffee seeds at their doorstep free of cost motivated them further.
He appealed to the department to assist in providing machinery and market linkages for the coffee growers in Nagaland.
Altogether, 15 highest coffee producers and largest growers from 16 districts of the state received cash prizes and certificates on the occasion.