Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia launched the ₹175-crore ‘Coffees of Nagaland’ mission, a cluster-based coffee value chain development initiative aimed at transforming Nagaland into a premium, traceable single-origin coffee economy with strong domestic and international market presence.
Designed through a whole-of-government approach, the mission has been planned by incorporating the perspectives of stakeholders and farming communities to ensure that interventions reflect ground realities and local aspirations.
Pilot clusters for Arabica and Robusta
The mission adopts a cluster-based approach with two pilot coffee clusters identified in Kohima district for Arabica coffee and Niuland district for Robusta coffee.
The initiative seeks to address gaps across the coffee value chain by integrating plantation development, post-harvest processing, branding, marketing, traceability, exports, tourism and capacity building.
Push for Brand North East
Scindia said the initiative envisions the creation of Brand North East through ‘Coffees of Nagaland’, supported by media campaigns, participation in trade fairs and experiential coffee tourism initiatives.
The mission also seeks to promote coffee farm-stays and farm-to-cup tourism experiences in the pilot clusters with the objective of positioning Nagaland as a niche destination for specialty coffee tourism.
Focus on certification and exports
Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Sukanta Majumdar said the integration of organic certification, GI tagging and digital traceability would significantly improve farmer incomes and empower smallholder households.
He said the roadmap would help secure direct access to premium international markets while linking the coffee sector with local experiential tourism to ensure sustainable long-term growth.
Alternative to shifting cultivation
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio described the project as a milestone in the State’s agricultural diversification and rural development strategy.
He said coffee cultivation has emerged as an important alternative to shifting cultivation in several districts and has strong potential to promote environmentally sustainable farming systems while generating long-term income opportunities for farming communities.