Mongsenyimti: One-day training on pre- and post- coffee harvesting held

Mongsenyimti, 13 October (MTNews): A one-day training on pre- and post- coffee harvesting was held in Mongsenyimti village, Mokokchung district, Nagaland, on October 13, 2023. The training was organized by Organic Coffee Luyimer, Mongsenyimti, in collaboration with the Coffee Board of India.

The training was hosted by I Meyionen Jamir, Chief Information Commissioner, and was also attended by Advisor Water Resources, Tongpang Ozukum, officials from the Coffee Board of India, the Department of Land Resources Mokokchung, and coffee farmers from Mongsenyimti village.

The resource person for the training was Jayanta Ghost, Deputy Director (Extension), Coffee Board, Jorhat. He spoke about the importance of processing and technology in order to produce high-quality coffee that can compete in the international market. He also highlighted the challenges of coffee farming in Nagaland and the entire Northeastern states, such as the need for shade to protect coffee plants from white stem borer infestation.

Ghost also demonstrated various steps and technicalities involved in coffee farming, including rejuvenation of soil and selection of different varieties of coffee species. He also spoke about the various subsidy components provided by the Coffee Board of India to coffee farmers.

Chief Information Commissioner I Meyionen Jamir expressed gratitude to the Coffee Board of India for organizing the training. He said that the training was an eye-opener for the farmers, who had previously taken up coffee farming simply because they were encouraged to do so by the department in lieu of jhum cultivation. He emphasized that coffee farming is not easy, and that it requires technical expertise to develop and maintain a coffee farm.

Advisor Tongpang Ozukum recalled a massive coffee plantation that was carried out in Mokokchung in the past, which failed due to a lack of guidance for farmers on everything from climatic conditions and altitude to shade, spacing, plugging techniques, processing, and market linkage. He appealed to the Coffee Board of India and the Department of Land Resources to provide guidance and support to farmers, and urged those who are interested in coffee farming to take it seriously.