DIMAPUR, OCT 2 (NPN): North Eastern Council (NEC) secretary Satinder Kumar Bhalla has called for an integrated approach to coffee development in Nagaland, saying the sector must move beyond plantation to processing, mechanisation, diversification and stronger market linkages to substantially raise farmers’ incomes.
According to a DIPR report, Bhalla made the remarks during a visit to Touphema village in Kohima on Friday to review coffee cultivation and infrastructure under the Coffee USP project. He inspected plantation sites and the Hi-Tech Coffee Washing Station and interacted with coffee growers and members of the Touphema Cluster.
Bhalla said the Coffee USP project was envisaged not merely as a plantation initiative but as an integrated livelihood and economic development programme that could enable villages, societies and clusters to derive greater value from the region’s natural and human resources.
He said commercially viable coffee cultivation would require good road connectivity, modern processing machinery, efficient post-harvest infrastructure, quality assurance, value addition and stronger market and export linkages.
NEC secretary said the objective was to create sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of life of communities.
He called for collective efforts by the Centre, Nagaland government, Coffee Board, local administration, farmers, technical institutions and the private sector to achieve the intended increase in farm incomes.
Bhalla also urged the state government and Coffee Board to consult central agricultural institutions to identify suitable intercrops and complementary activities for coffee plantations.
He said diversification could improve land productivity and provide farmers with additional income.
He assured growers that possibilities for water harvesting, mechanisation, new technologies and suitable equipment would be examined to address challenges faced by the sector.
He also encouraged the administration to engage industrial houses, investors and exporters to explore financial and institutional support for mechanisation and automation.
Principal secretary and development commissioner Y Kikheto Sema said coffee cultivation in Nagaland dates back to 1981 but had not reached its full economic potential because of limited awareness, inadequate market linkages and other constraints.
He encouraged farmers to adopt diversified and integrated cultivation, including black pepper and other suitable crops where technically feasible.
Touphema village council chairman Pfuduolhou Kense, speaking on behalf of growers and residents, thanked the state government and NEC for supporting the cluster with coffee saplings and financial assistance.
He highlighted labour shortages and the high cost of weeding and harvesting, and sought support for brush cutters and suitable harvesting equipment.
Bhalla also acknowledged the contribution of young people to the sector, citing Touphema’s youngest coffee grower, Vibei Kense, who travelled to Vietnam and obtained specialised certification in coffee.
The visit also focused on developing an integrated coffee ecosystem covering production, water management, mechanisation, processing, quality improvement, market access and diversification, with the aim of creating sustainable and higher-income livelihoods.
