Unlike in the past, coffee growers in Mokokchung now have no worries to sell their produce thanks to initiatives of the Coffee Board of India and the Land Resources Department. In recent times, Nagaland coffee has garnered international repute and prospective buyers from India and abroad have been showing keen interest in Nagaland coffee. Just last week, on Friday, a coffee buyer from Tamil Nadu purchased 8600 Kgs of coffee beans from various growers in Mokokchung.
Tinu of Salo Coffee Producer Company Ltd., who has been engaged in mediating the sales, told Mokokchung Times that most coffee farms in Mokokchung are “young” and that the production is expected to increase in the future. He said that Salo Coffee Producer Company has a buy-back policy ensuring the coffee farmers ready market linkage. He said that Soumyajit Roy, a buyer from Tamil Nadu who last week purchased the coffee beans also has plans to open a coffee processing plant at Khar village under Project Sankalp in the next harvest season.
Soumyajit Roy, who represents waribok_daribok Pvt. Ltd, made the purchase last week which Tinu estimated was worth about Rs.19 lakhs. Most of the coffee beans were of the Arabica variety. Earlier in June, another coffee buyer from Sanis, Wokha namely, Lithamo Coffee, is also reported to have purchased about 2000 Kgs of coffee beans from Mokokchung.
It is learnt that Khar village remains the largest producer of coffee in Mokokchung while there are also a number of small growers in places like Khensa, Alichen, Longkhum, Mangmetong, Mokokchung village, Yimchalu, Changtongya and Chuchuyimlang.