ITANAGAR, Oct 4: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has called for a coordinated effort to expand coffee cultivation in the state by improving productivity, quality, processing and market linkages to increase farmers’ incomes.
Khandu made the call while addressing the inaugural session of the ‘Hills to Cup’ Coffee Workshop organised by the Coffee Board of India in collaboration with the state Agriculture Department.
He said coffee cultivation had existed in Arunachal Pradesh for nearly five decades but had not received adequate attention, awareness or promotion. Describing the workshop as an important step towards reviving the sector, he said it brought growers, entrepreneurs, technical experts and other stakeholders together to identify challenges affecting the industry.
“This is, in a way, the first chapter of the state stepping towards the history of coffee in Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.
The chief minister said the government would examine the workshop’s recommendations and consider policy measures to support coffee growers and entrepreneurs. Coffee Board experts, he added, would assess technical gaps and difficulties faced by growers before submitting their recommendations to the government.
“As they recommend, the state government will extend full support to you in the coming days,” Khandu said.
According to Agriculture Department data, coffee was cultivated across around 600 hectares in the state. A significant portion of the plantations was under the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation in eastern Arunachal, while other growers had taken up cultivation through pilot and model projects.
Khandu said Arunachal’s diverse agro-climatic conditions, fertile land and multiple climatic zones offered scope for expanding cultivation. However, he stressed that increasing the area alone should not be the priority, with higher yields, better bean quality, processing, value addition and market access also necessary to improve returns.
He also described coffee as a potential avenue for youth entrepreneurship, particularly amid the expansion of tourism in the state.
“Tourists who come to Arunachal always prefer coffee. With tourism growing so much in Arunachal, this is a very good avenue for our youngsters,” he said.
Khandu said the government had introduced several agriculture and horticulture schemes over the past five to six years, but coffee had not yet received dedicated policy intervention. He said he would follow up with the Coffee Board to identify suitable measures for institutional support.
He also highlighted the expanding global coffee market and urged growers and entrepreneurs to use the workshop’s technical sessions to raise concerns and seek practical solutions from experts.
