Coffee board joint director sees prospects but says more has to be done to catch up with traditional producers

Guwahati: Tea has always been identified with the northeastern region of India while coffee continues to remain associated with the southern states, such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

However, with mushrooming cafes, government-backed guilds and organic farmers in the North East, together with the liberalisation of the Indian economy, coffee cultivation has gained momentum. It can also be inferred that coffee cultivation in the NorthEast began to curb jhum cultivation, a major contributor to deforestation.

In an exclusive interview with Business-Northeast (BNE), Navin Kumar Bahl Ryntathiang, Joint Director (JD), Coffee Board, North Eastern Region speaks on how the coffee board of NE is thrusting its development towards making a place in the economy of India.

BNE: How much is the total area of coffee production in NE?

JD: We have a total planted area of 4,600–4,700 ha. The average production has been around 150 MT from all seven states combined. Coffee is a biennial crop that is grown on an alternative schedule. If it has a high count for the current year, it can have a low count the next year.

BNE: What is the coffee cultivation division in each state of NE?

JD: Each of the northernmost states has a total area for coffee growing that is split as follows: Arunachal Pradesh has 479 ha, Assam has 429 ha, Meghalaya has 1,100 ha, Mizoram has 1,300 ha, Nagaland has 932 ha and Tripura has 264 ha.About 4,700 acres are used for coffee farming in the North East.

BNE: What about a coffee brand in the NE?

JD: There is no such brand owned by coffee for the North East. However, the Northeast Coffee Board has a logo including a ‘rhino’ that represents the NorthEast. And this logo may be used for branding if someone wishes to trade coffee from this area.

BNE: What kind of help does the Centre offer?

JD: Every five years, we provide a proposal to the Indian government that includes a development programme, the extension of existing coffee growing areas, the consolidation of older cultivation areas, support under the water augmentation plan, marketing aid and improvement of the quality of coffee processing. These are the numerous programmes that the ministry is currently carrying out. The state governments of the northeastern states have not yet offered us any aid. The coffee board is solely responsible for all of the actions.

BNE: What are the varieties of coffee commonly used in NE? What are its climatic conditions?

JD: Arabica and Robusta are the two main types of coffee.

Robusta is cultivated in regions with lower elevations (500-1,000 m above sea level), whereas Arabica is grown in regions with higher elevations (1,000-1,500 m above sea level).

Two or three locations in Assam are major coffee-growing regions. One of them is in the Dima Hasao neighbourhood of Haflong and serves mostly Arabica coffee. Robusta coffee is available in several districts, including Chirang, Bikni and others. Both Arabica and Robusta are produced in Assam and Meghalaya.

Arabica is cultivated in Mizoram and Nagaland’s steep terrain. Robusta coffee may be found in Arunachal’s Dirang area.

Robusta coffee is easy to cultivate in Nagaland and Mizoram because of the lower heights. One of the regions in Assam where Robusta is cultivated is Karbi Anglong. A coffee research centre is also located in Karbi Anglong’sDiphu.

At these research facilities, we undertake field tests and training programmes for coffee producers in the northeastern region.

BNE: Which state has the largest coffee-growing area?

JD: The main farming areas are in Meghalaya and Mizoram. When it comes to producing coffee, Assam leads the way, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

BNE: What steps are involved in evaluating coffee quality?

JD: The NE region of India lacks specific quality testing facilities for coffee. To verify the quality specifications, the samples are shipped to Bengaluru.

1. The correct harvest time should be used for quality factors.

2. Coffee beans should be a beautiful shade of cherry red.

3. The farming procedure should exactly match the climate, both in dry and rainy situations.

4. You should maintain a moisture level of between 10 and 11%.

BNE: What types of programmes are available to NE entrepreneurs?

JD: In Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, we have carried out a number of outreach programmes for the business owners in this area.Additionally, a team from Bengaluru’s quality division travels to the North East and participates in a programme where they impart knowledge on the finer points of coffee brewing, roasting, and company management.

We shall keep up this initiative in accordance with the needs of the area. These programmes are called ‘KaapiShashtra’.

We also assist entrepreneurs in launching their R&G (Roast and Grind) units. Additionally, we support cafés that wish to start with coffee.

BNE: On average, how many entrepreneurs from NE are registered in the coffee business?

JD: According to the most recent training, we had roughly 30-32 businesses sign up for the program. The precise statistics, however, cannot be known. However, it is noteworthy that some residents of this area have already launched their coffee enterprises.

BNE: What potential does coffee have in NE?

JD: The potential for coffee in the North East is enormous. They havenot been exported in great numbers from Nagaland to South Africa. The majority of the northeastern coffee is sold domestically through auctions.

Further, the coffee board’s marketing aid programme reimburses the coffee producers in the North East for the price we receive from Bangalore auctioning. The board is responsible for covering the costs of the entire process, including marketing.

BNE: In what ways is the board marketing coffee from this area?

JD: There are coffee entrepreneurs in states like Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram who purchase their own coffee from coffee producers in and around the Northeast and sell it on websites like Amazon and Flipkart. Actually, the whole production was sold to local business owners as well as a few traders from South India.

BNE:What is the contribution of NE to the nation’s coffee production?

JD: The North East only provides 1% of the nation’s total production of coffee, which is quite little. There are several reasons why its output is so little. Though it had been introduced to the North East for a while, its output rate was substantially lower than that of other states.

However, though it is not on par, the North East is virtually on the level in terms of quality with other states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

To reach the output pace and greater percentage contribution, more work remains. Additionally, we face fierce competition from important crops like rubber and tea.

The vast majority of farmers in the NE are tribal. The average size of the people's property is less than half an acre. Our primary goal is to raise the standard of living in the NE tribal community. Smaller land holdings are a major cause of lagged factors, which is why many industries, including coffee, are being impacted more severely.

We cultivate coffee on 500–600 ha of land every year.

There are, however, a number of additional restrictions as well, such as reduced land shares that result in less coffee output. Coffee grows well in areas with shade. In order to stop jhum cultivation, coffee was introduced in Northeast India (extensively leading to deforestation).

People are beginning to understand why forests should be preserved.Thus, we have so far succeeded in our aim. Coffee farming is also considered to be environmentally benign.

We support the education of the children of coffee producers as part of our plan. The highest price being sought here is for Arabica at $200 and for Robusta at $130 to $140.

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