Nagaland government has proposed to bring 50,000 hectares of land in the State under coffee plantation by 2030. This was stated by secretary, finance and land resources, Y Kikheto Sema in a press release.
In this regard, the State government will provide the required amount from the Budget 2017-18, he said.
Kikheto claimed the government’s move would improve the economic condition of rural people, besides generating employment opportunities for unemployed youth.
The secretary said he had already submitted a proposal in this regard to Coffee Board of India when he called on the Board’s secretary Srivatsa Krishna and finance and research director Dr Y Raghuramulu at their offices in Bangalore on January 2.
Kikheto stated that the Coffee Board of India had agreed to send an officer to Kohima to coordinate with the land resources department.
The officer will be attached with the department to assist it in development of coffee plantations in Nagaland, he added.
The statement said that two other proposals – to set up Arabica research and training centre in Nagaland and to continue various coffee development programmes in the State – were also submitted to the Coffee Board of India.