BAGLUNG, Oct 28: The coffee farmers in the district reaped double benefit this year after coffee production and its price increased simultaneously.
Farmers in Baglung district had produced 10 tons of coffee last year. However, the farmers in the district sold 12 tons of the dried coffee beans this year which fetched them Rs 3.24 million.
The price for the parchment coffee last year was Rs 170 per kg. According to Baglung district Coffee Producers´ Association, this year farmers in the district sold the dried coffee beans at the rate of Rs 270 per kg.
The produced coffee got an attractive price after a Korean coffee processing company directly bought the parchment coffee from the farmers.
“The price of the dried coffee beans has gone up by Rs 100 this year,” informed Bhawani Prasad Sharma, chairman of Parbat district Coffee Producers´ Association.
Central Chairman of Coffee Producers´ Association Shyam Bhandari Nepal said production of coffee increased by 20 percent. “Last year total amount of the coffee produce in the country was 401 tons while this year it increased to 480 tones,” said Bhandari.
Bhandari also informed that out of total production, 55 percent coffee was exported while 54 percent is consumed in the domestic market itself. He further informed that the area in which coffee was planted had increased after the demand of the coffee went up. “We have started planting 1 million coffee plants annually under the auspices of the agriculture ministry and various donor agencies,” said Bhandari. “We will continue the campaign for five years.”
As the demand of the Nepali organic coffee has increased in the international market, foreigners have started reaching to the local´s door steps in search of quality coffee. The increasing demand and the good price has attracted many farmers toward coffee farming and the existing producers have started expanding their plantation. Demands from Korea, Japan, America and European and golf countries have increased for the Nepali coffee lately.
Around 39 districts in the country has favorable climate for the production of coffee but 11 districts in Western Region covers 49 percent of the total production at present. Coffee is farmed in the places from 500 to 1600 meter heights. Coffee is being farmed in 1070 hectare land in the 11 districts of the Midwestern region with the annual production of over 200 tons, according to Premnidhi Dhakal, a technician at Regional Coffee Development Board at Pokhara. Over 21 thousand farmers are involved in the coffee farming in the western region alone.
The region has appropriate climate for the production of the Arabic coffee. Evereat Coffee Mill, Highland, Gulmi Co-operative, Buddha Organic Coffee Cooperative are the main exporter of coffee from the district.
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