Kohima, Oct 18 (KNN) With the aim to boost coffee exports from the state, the Nagaland government has decided to cover 50,000 hectares of land by coffee plantation by 2030.

This will allow larger quantity of coffee to be exported to European and Middle Eastern countries, officials said on Monday.

With the help and support of the Coffee Board, currently around 8,412.49 hectares and 1,419.7 hectares of land in different districts are covered by plantations of Arabica and Robusta coffee, respectively.

Coffee Board Deputy Director P.P. Chaudhury said that the Board has been supporting around 400 coffee farmers per year covering around 200 hectares of land. The board has also been providing seedlings to raise nurseries along with infrastructural support during harvest.

The board in collaboration with the Land Resources Development (LRD) department, is providing training to the farmers and also conducting exposure trips to other states.

“It is also providing market linkage of the products by bringing in buyers from different parts of India,” an official said

Additional director of LRD, Albert Ngullie, said that in 2014, the Nagaland government revived coffee plantation in a mission mode across the state with the LRD department as the nodal agency. Now, the organic coffee grown in the state is being exported to European and Middle Eastern countries.

Under the post-Covid economic recovery plan, the North Eastern Council (NEC) has provided financial assistance to distribute 360 coffee pulping machines across the state. The NABARD also provides support to the farmers in cultivating organic coffee.  (KNN Bureau)