National Tea and Coffee Development Board -- the government agency responsible for promotion of the tea and coffee industry -- has recently approved a ‘Strategic Plan for Moving Forward the Nepali Coffee Sub-sector’ with the emphasis on raising production and productivity by increasing the quality of coffee in the coming days.
Under the plan the government will encourage coffee production and productivity through the active involvement of small farmers in market-oriented coffee production.
Highlights
- Increasing productivity to 800 kg per hectare
- Production of 600 tons of coffee per year
- 32 coffee experts to be developed
- Production areas to be increased to 2,400 hectares
- 300 coffee brewers to be distributed to restaurants
- Equipment to be provided at subsidized rates
- 9 cooling centers to be established
The plan also includes a program for developing human resources and boosting organic coffee production through research work.
Assurance of coffee quality and its enhancement will be emphasized under the plan through the development of a national coffee standard, and the development and operation of an incentives system for coffee production, implementation and management of a national coffee logo and research into coffee quality in the country are also envisaged.
“The plan likewise incorporates programs that strengthen co-ordination among stakeholders though the creation of coffee sub-sector operating groups and strengthening of different associations,” Binaya Kumar Mishra, executive director of the board, told myrepublica.com.
Given the paucity of reliable records on coffee production and its domestic and international market, the establishment of a data base on coffee is also part of the plan.
In a bid to provide Nepali coffee access to the international market, linkages with international organizations concerned will also be established and maintained through participation in international trade fairs. For purposes of standardization, arrangements will be made for proper certification and improvement of the coffee pricing system.
Mishra said productivity of green coffee bean will be boost to 800 kg per hectare in three years from the existing yield of 300 kg per hectare.
“We have been developing 32 coffee experts with specialized training and long-time involvement in coffee research as resource persons to cope with the increasing demand for knowhow,” said Mishra.
Under the plan the government has set a target of increasing the production of parchment coffee to 600 tons per year from the existing 260 tons through an increase in the production area by 1,000 hectares to 2,400 hectares in three years.
The number of coffee farmers will be increased by at least 12,000 from the approximately 15,000 that currently exist across the country.
To boost production though incentives to farmers and processors, the government will distribute 50 pulping machines to farmers and six grinding machine to processors at subsidized rates.
“We are also planning to distribute 300 coffee brewing machines to 300 restaurants to encourage domestic coffee consumption,” said Mishra. The government is likewise establishing nine cooling centers to facilitate coffee processing by farmers.
Related story
‘Coffee 2 Go Nepal’ brings mobile coffee stall in Kathmandu
