Coffee plantation project revives

SamtseCoffeePlantationRevivesAfter years of setback, the country’s first commercial coffee plantation project in Tashichhoeling in Samtse springs to life. The project has revived some of its programmes that were temporarily suspended between 2012 and 2013. One of the programmes is the Community Farmers Participation, where the project distributes free coffee saplings to interested farmers.

Pem, 56, from Tashichhoeling Gewog is one of the farmers who have taken up coffee cultivation under the Community Farmers Participation. She first started growing coffee five years ago with a few coffee beans borrowed from her neighbour. A year later, she received 10 free saplings from the Coffee Project. And last year, she harvested about two kilograms of coffee beans.

“The coffee business looks promising. We do not have to worry about the market. The Coffee Project told us they will buy from us,” said Pem.


Ngawang Norbu, another farmer, started to grow coffee four years ago. Ngawang says coffee cultivation is much easier compared to other crops. In a place like Tashichhoeling, where destruction of crops by wild animals is common, Ngawang said coffee cultivation is a perfect alternative. Today, he has over 50 coffee plants. Last year, he harvested about five kilograms of coffee beans.

Samphel Norbu Coffee Private Limited, the company to start the country’s first ever commercial coffee plantation says it was not easy to convince locals to take coffee cultivation.

It is projected that a farmer could earn about Nu.20,000 a month from coffee planted on a five-acre land. It is expected help improve the lives of people, which the project says, is its core mission.

This season, under the Community Farmers Participation programme, the Coffee Project distributed free saplings to farmers in Tashichhoeling, Pemaling and Namgaychholing Gewogs. The project hopes to extend the programme to Norgaygang and Tendruk Gewogs by next season.

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