Nepal Infrastructure 
NAWALPUR: In a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing the capabilities of farmers and promoting sustainable and commercial coffee production at the grassroots level, a comprehensive capacity-building workshop kicked off on Sunday in Kawasoti of Nawalpur district. This two-day workshop was organized by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board with support from the European Union Nepal Trade and Investment Programme. In total 27 coffee farmers, including 12 women from Hupsekot, Baudikali, and Bulingtar Rural Municipalities are participating in the training.
The key objective of the training is to promote scientific, sustainable, and commercially viable coffee production at the local level forging effective coordination and collaboration with local governments and relevant stakeholders in the district. As the nation transitions into a federal system, these collaborative endeavors are anticipated to yield substantial benefits for farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in coffee cultivation, strengthening their participation in the coffee value chain.
Kamala Gurung, a female participant, from Baudikali Rural Municipality enthusiastically conveyed her excitement regarding the prospects offered by this capacity-building initiative and outlined her desire to expand her coffee farming pursuits by judiciously applying the newfound knowledge gained from the training. Tulisara Rana Magar, another female participant from Hupsekot Rural Municipality, expressed hope that the event will be crucial in inspiring farmers to adopt sustainable and commercially viable practices in coffee production.
Purna Singh Rana Magar, underscored the imperative of collaboration among all state institutions and the private sector to realize the objective of sustainable coffee production and enhanced productivity. Thapa emphasized the need to ensure markets for locally produced coffee to inspire farmers to expand coffee plantations through more investment.
Stating that Nepali coffee is enjoying impressive demands in domestic and international markets, Bhakta Raj Joshi, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), and Dr. Badri Prasad Bastakoti, an expert from EU-Nepal Trade and Investment Programme underscored the necessity of expanding modern and sustainable farming techniques to strengthen supply capacity.
Chandra Puri, training instructor and the planning officer of the National Tea and Coffee Development Board said the government is committed to addressing the concerns of coffee farmers to attract them into coffee farming. During the fiscal year 2022/23, Nepal exported 77 tons and imported 450 tons of coffee. Coffee plantations have covered over 3655 hectares, producing around 400 tons during the review year.
