Better infrastructure, value addition needed to make Nagaland coffee commercially viable: NEC secy

North Eastern Council (NEC) Secretary Satinder Kumar Bhalla has stressed the need for better infrastructure, value addition and stronger market linkages to make coffee cultivation in Nagaland commercially viable.

Bhalla made the remarks during a visit to Touphema village, around 34 km from Kohima, where he reviewed coffee cultivation and related infrastructure under the Coffee Utilisation of Surplus Potential (USP) Project.

He inspected plantation sites and the Hi-Tech Coffee Washing Station and interacted with coffee growers and members of the Touphema Cluster.

"Coffee development cannot be limited to planting coffee trees alone," Bhalla said, stressing the need for road connectivity, modern processing machinery, post-harvest infrastructure, quality assurance, value addition and market and export linkages.

He said the Coffee USP Project should be viewed as an integrated livelihood and economic development programme rather than merely a plantation initiative, aimed at helping communities derive greater value from the state's natural and human resources.

Bhalla said improving farmers' incomes would require coordinated efforts by the Centre, Nagaland government, Coffee Board, local administration, farmers, technical institutions and the private sector.

He also asked the state government and Coffee Board to work with central agricultural institutions to identify suitable intercrops and complementary activities for coffee plantations. Diversification, he said, could improve land productivity and provide additional sources of income.

The NEC secretary assured farmers that possibilities for water harvesting, mechanisation, new technologies and suitable equipment would be examined to address challenges faced by coffee growers.

He also encouraged the local administration to engage industrial houses, investors and exporters to support mechanisation and automation in the sector.

Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema said coffee cultivation initiatives in Nagaland date back to 1981 but had not achieved their full economic potential due to limited awareness, inadequate market linkages and other constraints.

He encouraged farmers to adopt a diversified approach, including black pepper and other suitable crops alongside coffee wherever technically feasible.

Touphema Village Council chairman Pfuduolhou Kense highlighted the high cost of labour for weeding and harvesting and sought support for brush cutters and harvesting equipment. He also sought water-harvesting structures, storage tanks and irrigation facilities to address water shortages affecting cultivation and post-harvest processing.

Bhalla also appreciated young coffee grower Vibei Kense, who travelled to Vietnam and obtained specialised certification in coffee, saying such initiatives could help build local expertise and strengthen Nagaland's coffee ecosystem.

Nagaland is currently developing coffee through cluster-based value-chain projects, with Touphema in Kohima district focusing on Arabica and Ghotovi in Niuland district on Robusta. The state has also launched the 'Coffees of Nagaland' mission to build an origin-based specialty coffee brand for wider markets.