GULMI, Dec 11: Coffee farming in Gulmi district has attracted local farmers, following a surging demand for coffee in foreign countries including Japan and France.

Manoj Pandey and Saroj Belbase of Resunga Municipality-8 have been engaged in coffee farming for the past one and a half years by planting as many as 20,000 coffee plant saplings in around 200 ropanis of land at Pipalarukh of Aapachaur. “We started coffee farming with the intention of working within the country instead of flying abroad for job opportunities," shared Belbase.

They have invested a total of Rs 5.1 million in the farm so far, and generated Rs 700,000 income from it last year. Around 35 people get jobs at the farm during the season. They have also undertaken the task of the procession, packaging and marketing.

Kapila Kharel of Aapchaur has established an agriculture and livestock farm. Besides banana and chicken farming, she has planted 200 coffee plant saplings.

"Youths have been attracted to coffee farming as it generates good incomes," said Durga Kharel, who sells over four quintals of coffee beans every year. Aapachaur in Gulmi district is considered to be the origin of coffee production.

Coffee production spread across the country after a local resident Hira Giri in 1995 brought coffee seeds from Burma and sowed them. However, commercial coffee farming in Aanpachaur started later after the government brought coffee seeds from neighboring India and distributed them, said a local Durga Kharel.

Coffee produced in the district has been exported to foreign countries through the District Coffee Cooperatives Association. Five metric tonnes of coffee beans are exported to Japan and France every year, said the Association Secretary Yubaraj Acharya. The Association generates Rs 6 million every year from processing and exporting coffee beans bought from farmers, he said.

(RSS)

 
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