Karnali: A provincial-level discussion took place in Birendranagar on Friday to explore the feasibility of tea and coffee farming in Karnali. The event, organized by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board in collaboration with Siddhartha Multipurpose Cooperatives Limited Surkhet, brought together stakeholders to discuss the potential for cultivating tea and coffee in the region.

Addressing the program, Bhim Prakash Sharma, Minister of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives of Karnali, highlighted the significant potential for tea and coffee cultivation in the province. He urged the National Tea and Coffee Development Board to provide technical expertise to support these agricultural initiatives.

Karnali Provincial Assembly members, Bindaman Bista and Ghanashyam Bhandari, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of promotion of tea and coffee farming in Karnali compared to other provinces. They emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to harness the untapped potential in the region.

Mohan Kumar Acharya, a coffee farmer from Barahtal Rural Municipality-3, Surkhet, shared challenges faced due to a lack of technical knowledge, leading to the removal of coffee plants and difficulties in selling the harvested coffee.

Dr. Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai, Executive Director of the Tea and Coffee Development Board, emphasized the significant potential for tea and coffee cultivation in Karnali. He called for collaboration between provincial and federal governments, with the involvement of local authorities, to realize this potential.

CP Basnet, Chief of Tea and Coffee Development Board Office in Pyuthan, identified Salyan, Rukum Paschim, Jajarkot, Dailekh, and Surkhet districts in the province as suitable for tea and coffee farming.

Tularam Sinjali, Secretary of Siddhartha Multi-Purpose Cooperatives Limited, highlighted the cooperative's role in purchasing tea and coffee produce from farmers in the province to prevent wastage. The discussion aimed to pave the way for coordinated efforts to boost tea and coffee cultivation in Karnali.