Himal Press 
DAMAULI: A coffee nursery has been set up in Lilachok, Ward 12 of Shuklagandaki Municipality, Tanahun.
An agricultural cooperative started this initiative to utilize barren land for productive purposes through coffee farming.
According to Manraj Gurung, chairperson of the Agriculture Cooperative Institution, they are producing 10,000 coffee saplings in collaboration with Shuklagandaki Municipality and the National Tea and Coffee Development Board. Gurung added that coffee production aims to meet market demand, given the increasing interest among younger generations. “Young people are increasingly attracted toward coffee. We distribute coffee plants to farmers who believe in making a living from their own soil,” he said.
The cooperative also provides marketing support for the farmer. “We don’t just distribute coffee plants; we also take responsibility for selling the produce,” Gurung stated. “Whether it’s one kilogram or 100 kg, farmers don’t need to worry about the market.”
Gurung further said that coffee farming is being encouraged because it provides quick yields and faces minimal damage from monkeys.
Navraj Pandit, chief of the Agriculture Department at Shuklagandaki Municipality, said that the coffee farming campaign was initiated to utilize barren land and prevent migration by creating income opportunities at home. “The coffee produced here will address the young generation’s growing interest in coffee,” he added.
The municipality distributed 5,000 coffee plants last year and plans to distribute 10,000 plants this year.
The initiative is part of the municipality’s “Youth with Deputy Mayor” program for the current fiscal year which focuses on production-oriented campaigns in Shuklagandaki.
According to Pandit, coffee farming is being promoted due to its commercial viability in the region’s terrain, which ranges from 800 to 1,400 meters in elevation.
Previously, farmers sold their coffee in districts like Kaski and Syangja.
(Translated from RSS)
