Coffee Bar- Native Brew was launched on August 3 in the office of district project officer (DPO), land resources department Dimapur. The coffee bar was launched by special guest of the programme, deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur, Rajesh Soundararajan.
According to DIPR report, Rajesh said that with the support of Coffee Board of India (CBI), it was the right and opportune time for the department to leverage the conducive opportunity for increasing coffee plantation.
He also added that it was an opportunity to improve market linkages and come up with coffee processing capabilities.
Informing that India stood as the sixth major coffee producer in the world which was further projected to increase from 15 to 18%, Rajesh encouraged the department to keep up with their awareness programmes and continue supporting coffee farmers.
Highlighting the history of coffee plantation in Nagaland, deputy director, LRD & supervisory officer for Dimapur district, Puvil Kikhi disclosed that during the early ’80s, the CBI and state government jointly started Nagaland plantation crop Development Corporation in 1981 and did not fail.
He however said that since CBI could not arrange market for coffee farmers, most plantation farms were abandoned by farmers except for few districts such as Wokha, Mokokchung, Mon and Zunheboto.
He said that during 2014-15, the CBI had a discussion with land resources department and agreed on taking up coffee plantation where an MOU was signed.
Since 2015, the coffee plantation started in real earnest and since 2016, there was no turning back, Kikhi informed.
He informed that presently 8996 hectares of coffee plantation was developed in Nagaland where last year alone 1003 hectares has been developed in collaboration with CBI.
Disclosing the department’s vision for 2020-30, Kikhi informed that the department had earmarked to develop 50,000 hectares of coffee.
“If we can develop 50000 hectares the state would be able to generate a revenue of 1630 crores”, he explained.
He further said that till date (2019-20) the department has exported 27.5 metric tonnes of coffee to a South African company by the name of Noble Cause where a memorandum has been signed for 30 years.
Kikhi also informed that two of the department’s staff were trained for coffee development from Kathmandu, British Coffee School.
The trainers would be imparting training to the educated unemployed youths across all the districts of Nagaland and the training would start from August 10.
He informed the department’s latest initiative of taking up Natural tea including Butterfly Pea tea, Gooseberry tea, Sumac tea, Fresh ginger tea, Rosella tea, Cinnamon and Moringa tea.
DPO Dimapur, LRD, I. Acato Chishi announced that all visitors in the coffee bar would be offered (American, Expresso, Latte) coffee drinks free of cost.
Special invitees including ADC Dimapur, Atokhe, CCF, Hukato Chishi, IFS, joint director, industries and commerce, Tokugha, DHO Dimapur, Temsu Longkumer, district soil conservation officer and DPRO Dimapur were also part of the programme.