Nepal, the country has always mesmerized people from its gigantic peaks, beautiful cultures and diverse landscapes. Beyond its natural beauty Nepal is slowly pacing towards brewing a story of becoming an emerging producer of organic coffee. The unique geographical feature of Nepal and a rising interest of people in speciality and organic products has Nepal in the race of becoming one of the promising players in the global coffee market.
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| Source: Communicaffe International |
Being started as a small scale crop cultivated as an experiment by a few farmers in the early 20th century, it has now evolved into a prized agricultural product. Today, Nepali coffee is winning the hearts of both domestic and foreign consumers for its smooth, aromatic profile and distinctive high altitude origins.
History of Coffee Cultivation in Nepal
Nepal has recently stepped in the commercial coffee plantation and production as compared to the long established coffee giants like Brazil, Ethiopia, and Columbia. It was in the late 20th century when Nepal started its journey around the 1930s to 1950s, however, Nepal finally started its commercial production by the 1970s and 1980s.
Reports suggest that coffee production began in Nepal in 1938 when Hira Giri, a hermit brought coffee seeds from Myanmar and planted them in Gulmi. He distributed the seeds for free among his people and the cultivating slowing began. For many years, the cultivation was limited to small scale and household purposes with almost no commercial focus.
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| Source: Khabarhub |
Started primarily as an experiment, the government and several international organizations started cultivating coffee in the mid hills of Nepal. Lack of proper technical knowledge, limited infrastructure, and competitive traditional crops created some problems in the beginning however, favorable climate, fertile soil and ideal altitude in places like Palpa, Gulmi, Syangja, and Kavrepalanchok encouraged new farmers to experiment on the coffee production as a future of Nepalese economy.
Nepalese coffee gained international recognition in the 1990s with prominent efforts by the NGOs and cooperatives. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) assisted with training on sustainable farming practices and aided farmers to connect with international traders.
In the present context over 4000 farmers have been actively involved in coffee farming in Nepal cultivated in thousands of hectares. Despite being comparatively a low producer, Nepalese coffee is known for its high quality and unique flavor profiles.
Current Scenario of Coffee Production in Nepal
Nepal is rapidly advancing in the number of farmers and area of its production. It is cultivated in more than 40 districts across the hilly region of the country, typically between the elevations of 3,000 and 6,000 meters above sea level. A cool mountain climate and soil rich in minerals create ideal conditions for Arabica beans to grow and mature at a slow pace.
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| Source: Sweet Maria's Coffee Library |
Coffee farming in Nepal has taken over the current farming industry by storm. The demand for coffee is not just in the international market but Nepalese people have turned into a great consumer of coffee. In the past, people in Nepal were solely dependent on instant coffee, however, with a growing trend of drinking organic coffee based drinks, production of coffee is taking a hike as importing instant coffee from the international market is very expensive.
The founder of Himalaya Coffee Company Dhanvie Dugar says,
"Nepali coffee is rare, our national production is only 500 to 600 tonnes annually."
"Every lot has a minimum cup score of 80 points. Grown under natural shade, without deforestation, on terraced hillsides, the high altitudes and de facto organic practices allow coffee to mature slowly, increasing bean density and flavour complexity."
Further, she added,
"Because Nepal’s coffee industry is relatively young, our soils remain nutrient-rich and unspoiled. Our coffee undergoes stringent moisture and cupping tests, is stored in climate-controlled conditions, and is packed in Ecotact and jute bags to preserve freshness."
As per the reports Himalaya Coffee Company is one of the best producers of Nepalese coffee trading with wholesale partners in South Korea, Japan, the USA, and the UK.
In addition, Greenland Organic Farm Pvt. Ltd. is the proud owner of the famous HimalayanArabica® coffee brand founded by Dr. Raj Kumar Banjara. He holds the title of the first Q Arabica Grader in Nepal and he has also received the prestigious Nepal Bidhya Bhusan Award. He is a certified trainer for coffee processing, grading, roasting, and brewing with over 28 years of experience in the field. According to him Nepal could be the next ‘Global Coffee Superstar’ as people living in Nepal and abroad are showing interest in investing in the farming of coffee.
He said,
"Nepal is sold out in coffee. There is no more coffee for sale."
He has been actively involved with his team in seasonal coffee production and assisting people in need. He motivates people worldwide in coffee production and investment through various social media like Facebook, Whatsapp, and Tiktok. He also offers SCA and SCI certified coffee courses for coffee professionals worldwide. He said that in the next 15 to 20 years coffee is going to be the major agricultural crop in Nepal so everyone needs to be focused on production rather than promotion.
Further, he emphasizes the luxury hotels in Nepal to use ‘Drip Coffee’ instead of ‘3 in 1 instant coffee’ that normally cost around 100, 120, and 150 nepali rupees. It is our responsibility to promote the Nepali product as tourists can also get a chance to taste the organic coffee and Nepali farmers can make their earning out of it.
