A village of coffee growers in Nagaland seeks a better market

In 2015, with the understanding that Nagaland’s soil and climatic conditions are suitable for large-scale coffee cultivation, the Nagaland Land Resources Department distributed coffee saplings to farmers across the state. Since coffee is a shade crop that does well with intercropping, the department also viewed it as a sustainable form of agriculture that the state would benefit from.

Encouraged by this government support, a group of farmers from six different clans in Sendenyu village in Tseminyu district came together and formed the Kebenstin Agri-Allied Society, which is a community-led coffee farm initiative. As part of the initiative, 23 families joined forces to manage 25 hectares of coffee farm, aiming to make productive use of their land and also generating income for the community.

Over the years, the farm has successfully implemented sustainable agroforestry practices, integrating coffee plants with banana, oak, alder, mango, wild apple, and other native tree species. Even during its initial coffee plantation drive, the members of the club saw to it that no trees were cut down.

To minimise labour costs, each of the 23 families contribute 50 days of labour annually on a rotational basis. Joshua Bukh, one of the farmers at the Kebenstin society, says, “This rotational system is integral to Kebenstin’s operations.” Families that are unable to fulfil this obligation have to arrange alternative labour. As a result of the collaborative approach, 80,000 coffee plants were cultivated in the first year, significantly improving members’ livelihoods.

The Kebenstin society made significant strides in its plantation initiative between 2015 and 2020. Today, 80 percent of its Arabica plants are thriving, supplemented by a substantial micro-nursery on site. However, the society faces a critical challenge—securing a stable market for its produce.

Without a guaranteed buyer, a large part of the high-quality saplings from their micro-nurseries are being sold back to the Land Resources Department at INR 5 per piece. The department then distributes the saplings to neighbouring villages. But the members of the society think that this price is too low.

“Currently, we dry our coffee and it is bought by Kenono Foundation—a nonprofit working in the area—at a rate of INR 250 per kg, and the coffee gets roasted outside the state. We are also on the lookout for more stable markets,” Joshua noted.

Nagaland has roasting facilities. In the past decade, the state has seen a coffee boom with several cafes and roasteries lining up the streets of major cities such as Dimapur and Kohima and catering to customers who visit in person and those who order online. But living in a remoter area, the farmers at Kebenstin lack exposure to this industry.

Keletsino Mejura is an IDR Northeast Media Fellow 2024–25.

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