Nagaland: Chief Information Officer Meyionen Jamir pushes for financial support to coffee farmers

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 1 (EMN): Chief Information Officer, I Meyionen Jamir, asserted that the initial enthusiasm for coffee plantations in the state might slow down unless the department does something more to bail out the coffee farmers, as they might be discouraged for want of financial support.

He urged the department of Land Resources to take more initiatives to see that the coffee crop is not a failure in the state for the second time.

Jamir was addressing the inaugural programme of a four-day hands-on pre-harvest training at Yahweh Empower Stature Agro Park, Gariphema, initiated by the Department of Land Resources, on Tuesday.

Meyionen Jamir suggested the department to conduct such trainings on a regular basis and in all the districts to reach out to as many farmers to have the maximum benefit.

He observed that coffee cannot be cultivated by a mere villager as it involves availability of land, capital, labour, and technical advice at every stage of farming, apart from marketing the product.

While commending the department for educating the farmers, he queried whether that is enough. He also asked what had happened to the INR 150 crore earmarked for coffee plantations by the 15th Finance Commission.

‘For centuries, Nagas have been practising jhum cultivation, yet its economic condition was never stable. Of late, the people have realised the futility of continuing with this practice and are looking for an alternative occupation or crop that will fetch more family income and improve the village economy. While Jhum cultivation is for one year, the coffee plantation is for a lifetime. People are now trying to change their understanding, planning, strategy and mindset from one day to a few years for the future generation.

‘However, the journey for change that has been initiated is not going to happen in one-two years but at least four-five years to produce results,’ he said.

He told farmers to have patience and work hard to bring about an improved economic condition.

The amount of hard work put into the coffee cultivation will be rewarded only with a good quality harvest. Farmers will be able to fetch a better price for the coffee planted only if they strictly follow the instructions given by the experts, he added.

He further lamented that the people are short-sighted and always look for quick returns.

‘We want to become rich overnight and not learn the hard way of establishing our life, our family and our economic condition’. 

 “We still have the ‘Hajira mentality’ (daily wage-earners lifestyle) meaning – we work today and get the payment by the evening and exhaust everything by tomorrow morning and this cycle continues for years. We never look beyond tomorrow. When we have this mentality and mindset, there’s no question of planning for the future”, he said.

Director of Land Resources, A Pangjung Jamir, said the pre-harvest training on coffee is the first of its kind and the department will try to conduct similar training in other districts in the days to come.

He said the training involves practical and technical knowledge of how to harvest coffee. In this regard, he told participants to grasp the maximum from the training for they would act as master trainers for the rest of the coffee growers and farmers in their respective districts.

‘Whatever is being imparted at the training should be communicated to other farmers, neighbours, and villagers,’ he said. He further informed that the participants included two farmers each from 15 districts assisted by the department staff and officials.

Managing director of Noble Cause Company, Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Pieter Vermeulen is  the master trainer for the event. In a brief highlight on the training, he said participants would get hands-on training on roasting coffee, tasting, smelling and visiting the coffee fields. He will teach them how to use one’s sense of taste and smell to differentiate the defects, good and bad quality coffee.

He added that the people of the state must be proud of having the best coffee in the world. Participants will be able to taste coffee from across the world and compare it with Nagaland coffee, and would be able to understand coffee in the international market.

The training schedule included an introduction to green coffee, green coffee grading, and good farming practice. The participants will lodge at the farm until the culmination of the training on November 4.

Village Council Chairman, Gariphema, Vibeilietuo Kets, shared that he started a coffee plantation in 2018 and was able to harvest around 600 kg in 2021. His coffee plantation covers an area of 50 hectares and over 28000 plants. He expressed hope that the harvest would come up to a thousand kilogram this year.

Simultaneously, a five-day barista training in the directorate of Land Resources got underway on Nov. 1, Kohima. The sessions on various topics will be conducted by Inatoli Chishi, Angel Naro, Ano Kennao, Tokaito Achumi, Vito Swu and Nzanthung.