[caption id="attachment_255496" align="aligncenter" width="565"]
Beneficiaries of the coffee development plan in Dimapur district seen here with members of Land Resources, during the training programme on June 18 at Diphu in Assam.[/caption]
Dimapur, June 18 (EMN): The Dimapur division of Land Resources has informed about an “exposure visit and training programme” for its “stakeholders” to the Regional Coffee Research Station, Coffee Board of India, at Diphu in Assam on June 18.
A press release from the Dimapur division of the department on Tuesday informed that the district project officer of the Land Resources division, I Acato Chishi, led his team of staff and 14 beneficiaries who represented various villages listed in the Coffee Development Plan for the district.
The training programme was conducted with the objective to “equip coffee growers with sound theoretical and practical knowledge on management of coffee plantation so as to maximize the production of coffee and provide a major boost to the industry overall.”
Technical support and guidance was given by Bijaya Barman, officer in-charge at Regional Coffee Research Station and extension officer Sandeep. They guided the participants on package practices and coffee nursery management, the division stated.
This was followed by a field visit to the coffee plantation site at the research centre, the press release stated. There, the participants were given hands-on training “in order to enhance their knowledge on cultivation techniques both at nursery level and at the field,” the updates stated.
“Coffee being a perennial crop, it is important for the coffee growers to emphasize on timely care and management of the crop by attending to all the cultural and maintenance operations. By following management practices at the right time, maximum yield and turnover would be gained,” Chishi stated.
The officer was stated to have urged the participants to engage mixed cropping along with coffee plantation.
Crops such as Areca nut, Black Pepper and any other “suitable” horticultural crops will add to the income of the coffee farmers, the press release stated. He was stated to have assured that the department will be organising more training programmes and “exposure visits” in the future as and when required.