Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Saturday called for a concerted effort to expand coffee cultivation in the state, improve productivity and bean quality, and enhance the coffee growers’ incomes through a stronger value chain.Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the ‘Hills to Cup’ Coffee Workshop, organised by Coffee Board of India in collaboration with the state agriculture department, in Itanagar, the CM said coffee cultivation was not new to the state and had begun nearly five decades ago.However, the potential of coffee had not received adequate awareness and promotion over the years, he said.Khandu described the workshop as an important beginning in the state’s renewed journey towards coffee cultivation, bringing together growers, young entrepreneurs, technical experts and other stakeholders.“This is, in a way, the first chapter of Arunachal Pradesh stepping towards the history of coffee in the state,” he said.The CM said the state govt would follow up on the outcomes of the workshop and explore appropriate policy interventions to support coffee growers and entrepreneurs.Khandu said the workshop would help identify the technical gaps and challenges faced by growers, following which Coffee Board of India’s technical experts would prepare recommendations for the state govt.“As they recommend, the state govt will extend full support to you in the coming days,” the CM told the participants.He said the state govt had introduced several interventions and schemes under agriculture and horticulture over the past five to six years, but coffee had not received a dedicated policy intervention so far. He said he would personally follow up with Coffee Board of India to determine what specific policy measures could be introduced to handhold the sector.Khandu said the state currently has only around 600 hectares under coffee cultivation, according to data available with the agriculture department.A substantial portion of the plantation, he said, is under Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation in eastern Arunachal, while several growers attending the workshop have taken up the cultivation as pilot or model initiatives.The CM said the state’s diverse agro-climatic conditions, fertile land and availability of different climatic zones provide a favourable foundation for expanding coffee cultivation.He stressed that the objective should not merely be to increase the area under cultivation, but also to improve productivity per hectare, quality of coffee beans and farmers’ incomes through value addition and a stronger value chain.Describing coffee as a promising avenue for young entrepreneurs, Khandu said the state’s growing tourism sector could create additional opportunities for growers and related businesses.“Tourists who come to Arunachal always prefer coffee. With tourism growing so much in Arunachal, this is a very good avenue for our youngsters,” he said.He urged young people to explore coffee cultivation, processing and related enterprises as avenues for employment and entrepreneurship, adding that the state should not miss the emerging opportunities associated with the sector.The CM also highlighted the growing global market for coffee and its potential as a commercial crop. He urged growers and entrepreneurs to use the workshop to raise technical questions and seek guidance from Coffee Board experts.He said the workshop was intended to address the gaps in technical know-how and provide growers with practical knowledge required to take coffee cultivation forward in the state.“The technical session is an opportunity to ask whatever questions you have in your mind,” he said, assuring that the state govt would continue to support the sector based on the recommendations emerging from the technical consultations.
