New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday launched the Cluster-based Coffee Value Chain Development Mission for Nagaland, saying the initiative represents “not merely a Whole of Government approach, but truly a Whole of India approach” that brings together governments, ministries, farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, branding experts, exporters and market leaders on a common platform.

The mission, titled “Coffees of Nagaland”, has been launched with an outlay of Rs 175 crore and aims to transform Nagaland into a premium, traceable single-origin coffee economy with strong domestic and global market presence.

Scindia said the mission has been conceptualised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ensuring that farmers become active stakeholders across the agricultural value chain rather than remaining limited to raw production.

The initiative has adopted a cluster-based model, with two pilot clusters identified at Tuophema village in Kohima district for Arabica coffee cultivation and Ghotovi village in Niuland district for Robusta coffee.

According to the minister, the mission seeks to address gaps across the entire coffee value chain by integrating plantation development, post-harvest processing, branding, marketing, export promotion, tourism, traceability and capacity building.

Scindia said the government envisions creating a strong “Brand North East” through “Coffees of Nagaland”, supported by media campaigns, participation in trade fairs and experiential coffee tourism initiatives.

He added that the project will also encourage coffee farm-stays and farm-to-cup tourism experiences in the pilot clusters, helping position Nagaland as a niche destination for specialty coffee tourism.

“The real success of the mission will be when Coffees of Nagaland secure premium shelf space in domestic and international markets while ensuring higher and sustainable incomes for coffee-growing communities,” the minister said.

Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar said the programme’s focus on organic certification, GI tagging and digital traceability would help boost farmer incomes and improve access to premium international markets.

–IANS

pk