Huge scope for coffee business in Nagaland, says LRD director

KOHIMA — Director of Land Resources department, Albert Ngullie on Tuesday encouraged the youth to venture into coffee business, saying that the sector has a huge scope in Nagaland.

He was addressing the ‘Barista skills for a perfect cup,’ a collaborative training programme of Coffee Board of India (CBI) with Été Coffee, held at Été Coffee School in Kohima.

Ngullie noted that while traditionally people in Nagaland are tea drinkers, there is a noticeable shift towards coffee consumption, especially among the youth who form a significant consumer base not only in the state but also across the country.

He mentioned that meat and coffee are two promising areas of business in the state.

He also highlighted that the department of Land Resources promotes coffee development, plantation, value addition and outlets with the mandate to help youngsters who are really aspiring to get into coffee business.

The LRD director went on to say that the department is enthusiastically looking forward to youngsters’ participation in development and expansion of Nagaland coffee.

Pointing out that the department has resources but limited man power, Ngullie called upon private entrepreneurs or trainers to assist the department by coming out with training modules.

Jayanta Ghosh, Deputy Director (Extension) of Coffee Board, commended the Été Coffee for the “milestone achieved” and also acknowledged the role played by the LRD for the development and growth of coffee in the state.

He said that other north-eastern states are emulating the trend set by Nagaland in promotion of coffee.

Earlier, Lichan Humtsoe, CEO of Été Coffee, informed that Été Coffee School headquartered in Kohima aims to empower individuals with comprehensive coffee education and equipping them with the skills to excel in the global coffee industry.

Affirming that the school is poised to transform the coffee landscape in the region and beyond, he said it has made remarkable strides in coffee education since its inception on December 28, 2019, having trained 218 individuals through eight distinct coffee courses.

He said that the school’s curriculum is meticulously designed to ensure that graduates can seamlessly integrate into coffee industries around the world, reflecting its commitment to global standards of excellence.

The CEO informed that Été Coffee School is proud to be one among the very few schools in India to be offering a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Certification Course.

Highlighting the courses offered, he said the comprehensive training programmes include greens, roasting, sensory skills, brewing, barista skills, latte art, café concept and operations and, export and import.

“Our vision at Été Coffee School is to cultivate proficiency and professionalism in the coffee industry. We aim to empower individuals to become experts and ambassadors of Indian coffee on the global stage,” said Humtsoe.

He also maintained that India has failed to create a distinct niche for itself in the coffee industry though it has long been one of the largest coffee-producing countries in the world. He opined that the country must focus on fostering value addition within the coffee industry.

 “By optimising our local and national resources, we can build a robust domestic market, which will serve as a foundation for international expansion,” he added.

The training programme will culminate on June 22.